Botox, dubbed the “lunchtime facelift”, and loved by men and women alike for its ability to erase wrinkles may now have a new use. Researchers from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis have revealed that botox may help relieve severe knee pain caused due to osteoarthritis.
Dr Maren Mahowald, M.D., of Minneapolis VA Medical Centre who presented the findings at the American College of Rheumatology meeting, said that initial tests have indicated that injecting Botox directly into the knee joint helped alleviate pain and also improved muscle mobility in severe cases.
The study involved 37 patients who had moderate to severe pain caused due to osteoarthritis. The participants were subject to Botox or saline injections and pain levels were assessed at the beginning and at the end of one month of treatment. Initial observations were that there was a 50% reduction in the pain of patients who reported severe initial pain.
"This suggested an independent analgesic effect of botulinum toxin,” Dr Mahowald said. However no improvement was recorded on the Western Ontario McMaster (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index among the 17 patients with initial moderate pain. "People may require one to three injections per year to control knee pain, but these injections may obviate the need for knee surgery” she predicted.
Botulinum toxin type A or Botox is an extremely popular treatment for wrinkles and other facial creases. It has often been known to treat excessive sweating, certain neurological symptoms and eye disorders. It has often been suggested that Botox may have a soothing effect on pain nerves.
Many experts have expressed delight at the news findings terming the study a boon for osteoarthritic sufferers. One expert commented that "The possibility of having something that's non-toxic and would really alter the symptomology of a disease that is not curable would be fantastic.” However many have raised concerns about the safely of Botox, which has been an ongoing debate.
The findings have not been proven to be conclusive and Dr Mahowald plans to continue to evaluate the participants after three and six months.
