More and more medical professionals buy Botox these days to treat problems that haven’t yet been officially approved by the FDA as one of the medical or cosmetic problems that Botox can treat.

The FDA has approved Botox for treating eye muscle disorders, neck muscle disorders, excessive sweating and eyebrow furrows. But Allergan, the drug’s maker, owns or has applied for patents on more than 90 uses for the drug.

One of these off-label uses is treating migraines. Anyone who suffers from migraines knows how debilitating this condition can be. Patients who suffer from chronic migraines often try everything – and I mean EVERYTHING, including acupuncture, yoga, diet changes and numerous medications – to relieve the pain. For many of them, Botox seems to be the only thing that works.

Anecdotal reports about the headache relief effect of Botox started surfacing in 2000. Patients who’d had Botox injections to smooth facial lines discovered that their headaches disappeared as well.

Scientists are unsure how exactly Botox works to treat headaches, but one theory says it desensitizes nerves that detect pain. Doctors are injecting Botox around migraine sufferers’ temples, the back of their head, their neck and upper shoulders. Many patients report that a set of Botox injections every 3-4 months eases migraine pain enough to enable them to function normally.

Since those first reports in 2000, several clinical studies have suggested that the muscle paralyzing effects of Botox may help reduce the frequency and severity of migraines, although there are other studies suggesting that Botox is not significantly better at preventing migraines than a placebo.

Even so, it’s generally agreed that Botox may indeed provide migraine relief for a small number of patients, even if not for the majority of them. For many migraine sufferers, quality of life is so low, it makes sense to at least give Botox a try, and so for you as a healthcare professional it makes sense to buy Botox and offer it as an option to your patients.

Botox is a purified form of botulinum toxin, a nerve poison produced by the bacteria that cause botulism, a disease that paralyzes muscles and can be fatal. Injections of Botox temporarily block chemical nerve signals to muscles or glands, reducing their activity.

Planning to buy Botox for treating your patients? Remember that the FDA has approved Botox to treat four issues: eye muscle disorders, neck muscle disorders, excessive sweating and eyebrow furrows. But there are many therapeutic and cosmetic off-label uses for Botox, including treating migraines, vocal cord problems, crows feet, and even breast sagging. Whether you buy Botox for an approved use or for an off-label use is up to you and your skills.

As explained above, one of the FDA-approved uses of Botox is for treating excessive perspiration. Suffering from excessive sweating can be a big problem in terms of social interaction and self-confidence. Treating these patients is one of those instances where you really feel you’ve made a difference in a patient’s life and dramatically improved their quality of life.

Botox is considered as a safe, effective treatment for excessive sweating, for patients as young as 18 years old. Just like its cosmetic uses, it replaces in many cases the need for surgery, which is inherently riskier.

Hyperhidrosis, or profuse sweating, usually occurs in the hands, feet, armpits, trunk and face. We’re not just talking about sweating more than normal. We’re talking about patients who drench shirts and need to change them several times each day, people whose feet slide in their shoes when they walk, and teens who refuse to date or get involved in after-school activities because they are embarrassed by their excessive sweating.

When you buy Botox to treat these patients, you make a huge difference in their lives. Botox treats hyperhidrosis by inhibiting some of the nerves in the hand, foot or armpit that stimulate the sweat glands.

Since Botox treatment for hyperhidrosis is FDA-approved, some insurance companies are willing to cover the treatment, so when you buy Botox for this purpose, be sure to tell your patients to check with their insurance company to see if the treatment is covered.