The movement disorder specialist may suggest Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) injections as an additional course of treatment.

Because of his fight against Parkinson’s disease, Arman, a patient, has been experiencing a multitude of symptoms in his back, neck, and up to his head. These have included a hunched back (also known as camptocormia), a drooping head, and a curved trunk (also known as Pisa syndrome). He also frequently falls, which is assumed to be related to these difficulties.

A wide variety of medications and therapies have been tried since he was diagnosed with early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in 2009. All of those were done in the hopes that one of them would help alleviate his symptoms. In 2017, Arman received a surgery called deep brain stimulation, which involves planting electrodes on the brain tissues.

The medical professional who assisted Arman has tried to change the quantity of the medicine and has also tried different brands. As for Duopa therapy (a type of gel containing carbidopa and levodopa, pumped directly into the patient’s intestine), several different administration methods have been tried.

Occupational and physical therapists are among the professionals he has collaborated with throughout the years. He was lucky since there had been a lot of research conducted to help reduce the debilitating symptoms suffered by Parkinson’s patients. 

Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) injections were recommended as a secondary treatment by the specialist in movement disorders. Since Arman’s health insurance would pay for it, he figured it was worth a shot.

Attempting Botox

In May of last year, his first-ever Botox procedure was documented. To make sure Arman wouldn’t have any negative responses, the first round of injections began with the smallest feasible dose. A minor bit of soreness in his neck while the drug was taking effect was the only negative side effect. Due to the small dose, he did not see any changes in his posture, including a straighter spine or a less tilted head.

Despite the fact that the initial attempt yielded minimal results, it was decided to give it another go. With optimistic expectations that a more potent dose would alleviate his discomfort. After waiting around 90 days, he went in for a second Botox injection.

When administering Botox for the second time, Arman’s neurologist changed the location of the injection slightly. He received an injection in his neck and some in his abdominal area.

Due to an insurance mix-up, he was only approved for the same dose as the first injection and not a greater one. It was a bit disappointing, but the best outcome was expected.

Arman had no improvement in his posture or head-and-neck problems after the second round of injections. That was quite saddening, but Arman and his family hadn’t expected a miraculous turnaround with yet another tiny dose.

They are still willing to consider any promising new therapies that may become available. Meanwhile, they want to give Botox yet another chance. The third time is a charm, as the old saying goes.

If you’re thinking about receiving Botox injections, be sure you have a trained medical professional to administer them. Botox has the potential to improve health and alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms in experts’ hands. Expert Botox injectors know how to assess their patients’ unique needs, determine the optimal dosage, and ensure that their patients experience the full benefits of the treatment with minimal risk of adverse effects.

Dentox was developed as a course for medical professionals to learn the proper techniques for administering Botox injections. Our virtual Botox training is available at https://dentox.com/all-courses/botox-training/, and training experiences with real patients can be taken at https://dentox.com/live-courses/.