Botox Injection
By : Mohammed YasserIntroduction
Botox injection is a technique used to eliminate facial fine lines and wrinkles, prevent chronic migraines and much more. This injection works by inserting a drug into a muscle which blocks the nerve impulse to the region, causing muscle relax.
What is this drug made of?
Botox injection is made of Botulinum toxin which is a purified neurotoxic material derived from Clostridium botulinum bacteria. (Note: This bacteria causes a rare, serious disease called Botulism, which attacks your nerve and potentially cause paralysis).
Humans have successfully converted a variety of natural toxins to useful material and this injection is a major example.
Humans have successfully converted a variety of natural toxins to useful material and this injection is a major example.
Where we could use this injection?
◇ Facial wrinkles: wrinkles are the result of muscle contraction. A potential solution to this problem is to use a toxin which blocks nerves and causes muscles to relax.
◇ Muscle stiffness (spasticity): spasticity is an abnormal increase in muscle tone due to prolonged muscle contraction. So,to rectify this, we need something that prevents contractions. This function is accomplished by Botulinum toxin.
◇ Cervical dystonia: Botox injections help treat Cervical dystonia, which is an abnormal contrition in the muscles of the neck which causes your head to tilt as shown below.
◇ Muscle stiffness (spasticity): spasticity is an abnormal increase in muscle tone due to prolonged muscle contraction. So,to rectify this, we need something that prevents contractions. This function is accomplished by Botulinum toxin.
◇ Cervical dystonia: Botox injections help treat Cervical dystonia, which is an abnormal contrition in the muscles of the neck which causes your head to tilt as shown below.
Xeomin is a type of Botulinum toxin.
◇ overactive bladder: normal urination occurs in these steps:
1- the wall of the bladder stretches after filling with urine.
2- an impulse is sent to the CNS indicating that the bladder is filled.
3- The CNS responds by making the muscles in the wall and base of the bladder to contact and excrete the urine.
However, sometimes the wall of the bladder tends to become overactive (due to Neurological disorders, diabetes, hormone change or another factor), sending an impulse indicating that it is full when it's not. As a result, the muscle contracts, releasing urine when the bladder is nearly empty.
This problem is called overactive bladder and now we use Botox injection to block nerves and decrease activity of these muscles.