Symphony Park – January 2016

1/12/16
If you live in Las Vegas, you hear “Botox®” you generally think “cosmetic” – as in smoothed-out traces of aging, such as frown lines and crow’s feet. But for many people who suffer from an under-recognized neurological disorder known as dystonia, Botox and other brands of botulinum toxin mean almost instant relief from pain and disability.
Just ask Brent Bluett, DO, a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Each week, the center offers a full-day clinic, the first of its kind in southern Nevada, where Dr. Bluett administers botulinum toxin injections to dystonia patients.
“The effect of the injections can drastically improve one’s quality of life,” he says. “The injections helps patients with constantly tense, contracted muscles relax again. It can work wonders for these people.”
The Treatment of Choice
It’s estimated that up to 300,000 people in the United States have some form of dystonia. Untreated, patients have uncontrollable muscle contractions that cause twisting and repeated movements or abnormal postures, which can be painful and disabling. Dystonia can affect a single muscle, a group of muscles or the entire body. If you know someone who involuntarily blinks one or both eyes, has a head tremor or suffers from “writer’s cramp,” that person may have dystonia.
Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for dystonia, and oral medicines rarely work well. Surgery is available, but it’s considered a last resort. Bottom line: Botulinum toxin injections are the primary and most effective treatment option for most types of dystonia.
How It Works
Any therapy involving the word “toxin” may sound scary, but botulinum toxin injections are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of dystonia, and very small doses are safe in the hands of a trained professional like Dr. Bluett. “Injected into an affected muscle, botulinum toxin blocks the signal transmitted between a nerve and the muscle,” said Dr. Bluett. “The muscle can then relax temporarily, which allows the patient to regain function and relief from pain. The effect usually lasts about three months, and then the patient returns for a repeat injection.”
So the next time you hear about Botox, remember that it’s good for more than looking younger. It has a medical purpose, too. To learn more about the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health’s botulinum toxin clinic, or to make an appointment, call 702.483.6000.
Photo: Courtesy of Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Brent Bluett, DO, administering a Botox injection to a dystonia patient.