Spinal cord injury patients 'can use Botox'RSS Feed

Botox may be well known among the general public as a cosmetic product, but it is believed that the "natural poison" could be an effective treatment for spasticity in patients with spinal cord injuries.

Injections of the product, which goes by the scientific name of botulinum toxin, are also thought to relieve adult spasticity due to multiple sclerosis or brain injuries, reports the Washington Post.

However, the efficacy of Botox in alleviating more generalised back pain appears to be less certain.

"While some people may find relief from their back pain with the injections, the evidence is relatively weak, according to the AAN [American Academy of Neurology]," the newspaper reports.

However, it acknowledges that at least one study has suggested that Botox could relieve lower-back pain that is felt predominantly on one side.

Meanwhile, Science Centric has reported that scientists at the German Cancer Research Centre have shed new light on the process of inflammation that occurs after spinal cord injuries.

They discovered that when a signalling molecule known as CD95L was "switched off" in mice, the injured spinal cord healed and the rodents more effectively regained their ability to move.

Serious Law, leading spinal cord injury solicitors

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