Medications to Relieve Neurological Symptoms
We understand how painful and challenging it can be if you have a neurological disorder (a disorder that affects the brain, spinal cord or nerves) or an orthopedic condition (a disorder that affects the bones, muscles, tendons or ligaments). In some cases, your doctor may recommend therapeutic injections as an option to reduce your pain or otherwise improve your symptoms.
The neurologists and physiatrists (doctors who specialize in physical medicine) at Baystate Health often use these injections as part of their customized treatment plans. Therapeutic injections are often part of treatment plans for several conditions, including:
How Do Therapeutic Injections Work?
Depending on your condition, your doctor may use ultrasound or another imaging procedure to guide your injection. Once your injection is complete, you may experience symptom relief that lasts anywhere from a few weeks to several months at a time.
You likely will need additional injections in the future. You’ll work with your doctor to set up an injection schedule that meets your needs.
What Types of Therapeutic Injections Do We Offer?
Our doctors prescribe several types of therapeutic injections based on your unique condition and symptoms. These injections include:
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Anesthetics: medications to relieve pain
- Corticosteroids: medications that are similar to a hormone called cortisol, which your body produces naturally, to relieve inflammation and swelling
- Hyaluronic acid: a synthetic substance that mimics your body’s natural joint lubricant
- Botox: a neuromuscular blocker that can treat several neurological disorders
Botox® Injections
Botox® (botulinum toxin) is a substance doctors commonly use in cosmetic medicine and other treatments. Our neurologists use it to treat several types of neurological disorders, including:
Botox® works by blocking nerve signals your brain sends to the muscles. This blocking process is called chemodenervation. Your doctor may recommend Botox® if you have muscle spasms that other medications or treatments don’t do enough to treat. A Botox® injection will temporarily weaken the spastic muscles and reduce their activity.
You likely will feel the effects of your Botox® injection within five to seven days of treatment, and symptom relief usually lasts three to four months before you’ll need another injection. You may experience mild side effects following your injection, such as:
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Flu-like symptoms
- Soreness, redness, or bruising at your injection site
- Temporary muscle weakness at your injection site
- Ptosis (drooping eyelid) if used to treat blepharospasm (an involuntary tight closure of your eyelids)
- Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)