<reponame>JacksonCrawford/relational_contracts<gh_stars>0
{"URL": "https://www.wired.com/1999/09/vanity-cure-for-migraines", "heading": "vanity cure for migraines", "subheading": "patients receive an injection of a toxin to smooth their furrowed brows and miraculously their migraines go away. who says getting a makeover is a headache?", "author": "reuters", "category": "science", "type": "article", "timestamp": "09.29.1999 02:00 PM", "text": "small facial injections of the botulism toxin, which commonly causes food poisoning, show promise in treating migraine headaches, researchers reported tuesday. the study was presented to members of the american academy of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery by dr. <NAME>, a los angeles plastic surgeon.migraine headaches -- a debilitating disorder characterized by severe pain, vertigo, nausea, vomiting and light sensitivity -- affect 17 percent of all women and 6 percent of men, according to the academy.binder discovered that a number of patients he was treating for deep forehead wrinkles with injections of botulinum toxin type a, manufactured by allergan inc. as botox, reported their migraine headaches had stopped or lessened since the injections began.a more formal study was conducted to learn if those results could be duplicated. binder and three physicians in new york and san francisco tested the injections on 100 patients.of the 100, 75 of whom were diagnosed with true migraines, 39 reported complete relief, 29 noted at least a 50 percent reduction in the number or severity of their migraines, and seven reported less than 50 percent improvement.the only adverse effects were temporary local pain at the injection sites and small purple patches on patients' skin.botulism, a paralyzing nerve and muscle disease that can be fatal, is caused by toxins produced by a bacterium sometimes found in home-canned food.botulism toxin has been used since 1980 by ophthalmologists and neurologists to treat so-called lazy eye, eye spasms and some neurological disorders.in a memoir published this month, <NAME>, host of a talk show on national public radio, describes a long struggle with a neurological problem that was ruining her voice. she has been helped by monthly injections of botulism toxin into her vocal cords.more recently plastic surgeons have used the substance to treat deep furrows in the face.research is continuing into other possible medical applications, including treating cerebral palsy, excessive perspiration and some kinds of lower back pain.copyright"}