Thousands of people all over the world turn to Botox to halt the signs of aging. But did you know that this cosmetic procedure may also fight arthritis?
That’s what a small, preliminary study is telling us and doctors are already excited about it. In that study, osteoarthritis patients who received Botox injections reported a 50 percent or more improvement in knee pain. If other studies can repeat those results, it won’t be long before Botox becomes the next arthritis miracle cure.
"It works very well. We have patients where the pain comes down for three months, or it could be up to six months," said Dr. Gordon Ko, one of the investigators.
Ko has been administering Botox injections to arthritis patients who don’t respond to conventional medications. The drug is injected into the gap between the joint and results have been promising.
The pioneering study lasted for six months and involved 37 patients with moderate to severe knee pain due to osteoarthritis. The participants (36 men and one woman) received either 100 units of Botox with lidocaine (a short-acting anesthetic) or a saline placebo with lidocaine.
They were analyzed after a month, three months, and six months. Their pain and ability to move were measured during these times. After a month, two placebo patients dropped out from lack of benefit. Of the 18 patients in the severe pain group (half on Botox and half on placebo), there was a significant decrease in pain and improvement in physical function for those who received Botox shots. The placebo group reported minimal improvement.
Doctors are hoping to duplicate these results in other studies but patients are already convinced that Botox works for arthritis. One of the patients, Jenny Breen, had every reason to be thankful. She claims the injections have changed her life.
"If I had to give up my Botox I don't think I could live. My quality of life would go right down. I know, for me personally, it changed my life and made a big difference," she told CTV News.
Although Botox is expensive, the shots are seen as an ideal solution for arthritis patients who can’t undergo knee surgery because of old age or frailty. Since Botox is injected directly into the joint, it doesn’t cause stomach bleeding, hypertension, and other side effects of other traditional painkillers.
“If Botox injections for refractory joint pain continue to prove beneficial, they offer a very welcome solution for fragile patients. Local joint treatment with Botox injections could replace oral medications that carry the risk of systemic side effects, and Botox injections may negate or delay the need for joint surgery,” said Dr. Maren L. Mahowald, the Rheumatology Section chief at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, and a principal investigator in the Botox study.
As we await more good news from Botox researchers, you can stop arthritis pain with a little help from Flexcerin. This powerful supplement rebuilds, lubricates, and soothes swollen and painful joints without the side effects of other prescription painkillers. Check out http://www.flexcerin.com for details.
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