Thursday, December 13, 2007

Botox is Not Just for Cosmetic Purposes Anymore

Botox has become popular in recent years for smoothing out facial wrinkles, but it's turned out to to useful for real medical conditions, too.

Botox, which is formally known as botulinum toxin type A, has also effective in treating hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), especially under the armpits. And it can also have benefits for treating eczema in the hands, easing muscle spasms, treating cerebral palsy, soothing shoulder pain from osteoarthritis, and eliminating headaches. One effect that Botox has is to block chemical signals from the brain that direct nerve endings to move muscles.

The many medical cures attributed to Botox are somewhat ironic because it is a form of the botulinum toxin, which before Botox was mainly known for causing sometimes-fatal food poisoning.

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