What are the approved — and unapproved — uses of Botox injections?
In April 2002, the FDA approved Botox Cosmetic for the treatment of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows (glabellar lines), but often it is used off-label on crows’ feet, forehead creases and bands on the neck. Botox is approved for spasm of the eyelids (blepharospasm), severe neck muscle spasms (cervical dystonia) and excessive sweating (severe primary axillary hyperhydrosis). Myobloc is approved for the treatment of adults with cervical dystonia. (It has not been tested sufficiently in children with cervical dystonia.) Currently Botox is being studied to treat a laundry list of other conditions, from knee and hip osteoarthritis to migraine headache and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). What is off-label use? Off-label use refers to the somewhat common practice in which doctors use an approved medication for a reason that has doesn’t have FDA approval. This practice can be both legal and ethical in many situations. How does Botox affect wrinkles? Certain wrinkles are
