Botox seems to be a wonder drug for women and men who want to eliminate deep wrinkles, migraines, muscular disorders, and several other conditions. But does it work for foot pain? Some preliminary research has demonstrated that Botox may have a positive effect for those seeking relief for certain painful foot conditions.
How does it work?
Botox works by disrupting the signaling processes that allow neurons to communicate effectively. Because it works for other painful conditions researchers have been doing small studies to find out how well it works in reducing foot pain.
Two foot conditions have been the subject of research in recent years: plantar fasciitis and Morton's neuroma.
Plantar Fasciitis
If you're a heel pain sufferer you know how debilitating this condition can be. At the Foot and Ankle Center of Lake City we use a variety of modalities to relieve your pain including injection of steroids if warranted. A small study in Mexico compared patients who received injections of Botox vs those who received an injection of steroids concluding that those in the Botox group were the clear winners when it came to recovery.
Morton's Neuroma
A pilot study in Spain studied how well Botox would work in Morton's neuroma. They treated 17 patients who had not responded to steroid injections or other measures with Botox. Seventy percent of the patients found improvement in their pain. In our office we use steroids on occasion but more frequently we use alcohol injections to shrink the neuroma which has a high recovery rate.
Keeping in mind both studies were small and the cost of Botox is high, more research with positive outcomes needs to be done and the price would need to come down before I'd consider using it with my patients.
If you do have plantar fasciitis (heel pain) or a Morton's Neuroma we do have very effective treatments for both of these conditions.