myatune.com.au • View topic - Botox Injections for masseter and temporalis hypertonia

I had an interesting discussion with a client of mine who is a dentist which i thought i'd share with you lot..

He uses botox injections into the fascial muscles to relieve headaches and correct tmj mechanics. The basic mechanism is that the botox blocks the contraction of the muscle which it is injected in to. The results can be quite immediate and tend to last up to 3 months before subsequent injection is required.

Interestingly, there is a lasting physiological effect to the muscle after the injection. Due to the inactivity of the muscle during the period that the botox is having an effect, the muscle atrophys. The dentist notes that in some cases the atrophy is substantial to the point where clenching can decrease and headaches remain at bay for a lasting time frame.

Obviously, this approach is fairly reactionary and focuses mostly on symptomatic relief, however the way in which the muscle atrophy's is quite interesting and may fit in well with our approach. This procedure is usually carried out with other dental procedures to get to the root of the problem such as used splints and build up crowns..

I think it's certainly something to consider for those TMJ/masseter presentations which just won't shift with complementary therapy, particularly when symptoms are becoming unreasonable for the client..