While Botox is most commonly associated with cosmetic procedures, it is also one of the most common preventive treatments for chronic migraine.
Clinical trials have found Botox treatment to be effective at reducing the number of migraine days and reducing the severity of migraine attacks in patients with chronic migraine. But what do patients think about this treatment? This was the focus of a recent study that investigated how chronic migraine patients perceived their treatment with Botox.
The researchers interviewed patients who were being treated with Botox for their chronic migraine, asking theme questions about not only their migraine experiences but also about their experiences with other medications and with Botox.
The descriptive data from the study was analysed, and the researchers narrowed down specific themes that were common to patient groups. The three patient groups were:
- Patients who were continuing to receive Botox for chronic migraine
- Patients who had at least one Botox treatment, but then discontinued treatment
- Patients who were recommended Botox by their doctor, but who decided not to go ahead with treatment.
The study reported that even though migraine attacks were not completely eliminated for most patients, the patients still viewed Botox as an effective treatment. Many patients shared that when they were receiving Botox treatment they were able to manage their migraines with other medications and continue with their daily activities.
The study revealed some potential barriers to patients receiving prophylactic treatment with Botox for their chronic migraine. The most significant barriers identified were:
- – costs associated with treatment
- – fear associated with either the needles or side effects (or both)
According to the researchers, the study provides new insight into how patients perceive their treatments for chronic migraine. This insight is not always evident during large-scale clinical trials that are specifically assessing the effectiveness and safety of a treatment.
The results of this study are important when looking at treating patients in the context of everyday life, and can be used to make more relevant healthcare decisions.
Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay
