Long-term use of Botox under scrutiny in University of Calgary study
Posted December 3, 2010 8:06 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY, Atla. – A new study has raised questions about the long-term use of botulinum toxin A, better known as Botox.
The University of Calgary study found animals injected with Botox experienced muscle weakness throughout the body, far away from the injection site.
Repeated injections caused eventual muscle atrophy and limbs that weren’t injected became numb.
Lead author Rafael Fortuna said those findings were surprising, and have raised important questions about the long-term therapeutic use of Botox, especially among young people who may receive the injections for medical reasons.
The study used dosages that approximated therapeutic doses used to treat conditions such as cerebral palsy where muscle contraction can’t be controlled, resulting in muscle dystonia and spasticity.
