Treatment of migraine headache with botulinum toxin type A

Migraine is a common headache disorder with profound implications on patients' quality of life and the overall health care system. Traditional treatment options have been less than optimal and many migraine patients lack confidence in over-the-counter and prescribed medications. BTX-A has shown promise as an efficacious, well-tolerated, long-lasting preventive therapy. Completed placebo-controlled trials showed that BTX-A injections for migraine resulted in fewer headaches, reduced headache severity and duration, reduced migraine-associated symptoms, and reduced use of migraine medications. Because the administration of BTX-A is nonsystemic, reported adverse events have been rare and mild. Larger trials are currently underway to further evaluate BTX-A efficacy and to determine optimal dosing and injection sites. Based on the collective experience of clinicians in neurology, facial plastic surgery, and otolaryngology, as well as supporting evidence from completed and ongoing clinical trials and theorized mechanism of action, an effective BTX-A approach for treatment of migraine is emerging. With further refinement to its use as prophylactic therapy, BTX-A can potentially be a primary option for candidate migraine sufferers and prescribing clinicians.