Most commonly known for its cosmetic enhancements, Botox works by temporarily paralyzing muscles.
For migraine sufferers, who have headache trigger points in their brows, temple, back of the neck or deep inside of their nose, Botox can provide relief.

"We can weaken the muscles around these sensory nerves on the face called the trigeminal nerve, weakening those muscles decreases irritation to those nerves thereby decreasing that cascade of irritation that causes a migraine," said plastic surgeon Dr. Adam Cash with Mercy Health.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Adam Cash says a patient, who has more than 15 days of migraines a year, is a candidate for advanced treatments, such as Botox, which is FDA approved in the treatment of migraines.  Dr. Cash says the Botox injections provide about three months worth of relief.

"Unfortunately, many people have more than one trigger site.  So, dealing with one trigger site for instance, the forehead, they might start developing trigger sites in other areas because they are prone to migraines and those sensory nerves are very sensitive," said Dr. Cash.

For some people, Botox can dramatically reduce pain.  Dr. Cash says some people will see a complete reduction in headaches while other people will see a 50% reduction in pain and frequency.  If a patient finds success with Botox, they can opt to take treatment a step further.

"We can offer surgical procedures to remove those irritating factors around those nerves including muscles, blood vessels that pulsate, maybe boney canals that are constricting the nerves," said Dr. Cash.  "There are many surgical options for that and they've been proven to be very positive in result."