Planning to get Botox? Do you want to extend the duration of Botox effect? You may consider taking a Botox booster.

In a clinical trial conducted by the Department of Plastic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, 77 participants received the zinc-phytase supplement, zinc only and lactulose placebo. In the study, researchers used a combination of Zinc citrate and phytase, an enzyme, to increase of the duration and effectiveness of Botulinum toxin injections.
Zinc is believed to be necessary for Botox to work as a neurotoxin. The enzyme phytase can help reduce the time it requires to metabolize the zinc in the body. When combined, the two may ‘boost’ Botox’s effect.

The researchers reported that this Botox booster made clinically significant improvements in some patients, especially those with blepharospasm that did not responded well to other treatments. However, it is still advisable to consult your doctor before using this supplement with Botox.

Results of the study revealed that 84 percent of the participants who received zinc-phytase supplement reported an increase in effect while 92 percent reported an increase in the duration effect. There’s no changes on duration or efficacy reported after receiving either the placebo or zinc supplement.

The researcher even evaluation the effects in the specific subgroups. Researchers discovered that participants 65 years and older reported an improvement in the efficacy of zinc-phytase supplement. The said ‘Botox booster’ increased the treatment efficacy in patients with eyelid spasms (benign essential blepharospasm) which is hard to treat, as well as the treatment duration of patients with hemifacial spasm (muscle spasm on one side of the face.

Zinc and Phytase Enzyme – the Botox Booster: How It Works

Botox is a popular treatment for various muscular disorders, sweating and facial wrinkles, however, the result is not permanent. Its effect eventually wear off. For some patients who depend on it or choose to get it on a regular basis, the longer the effect, the better.

Dr. Charles Soparkar, one of the authors of the study, noticed that some of his patients were not as receptive to Botox as others and he started to investigate. He thought that there may be a link between Zinc and Botox.

Soparkar told that all Botulinum toxins rely on zinc – metalloprotease, which means they need zinc to properly work. Up to 50 percent of the people are zinc deficient and so Dr. Soparkar started recommending zinc supplement combined with phytase enzyme, in the form of Zytaze, the drug. Sopakar prescribes it four to five days prior to the treatment.

Conclusion

The result of this study still need to be confirmed. Further studies will be necessary to find out the optimum dose and combination. However, it is possible to achieve similar effect by increasing the body’s level of zinc through your diet before having Botox therapy. Foods rich in zinc include beef, spinach, flax seed, shrimp, oysters and pumpkin seeds.

British researchers have discovered a new way to use Botox. People diagnosed with Lateral Patellofemoral Overload Syndrome (LPOS), a condition that affects the muscles of the knee and thigh. It commonly affects cyclists, runners and other athletes. Also called patellofemoral pain sydrome, it is often categorized as an overuse injury. But the more appropriate term is ‘overload’ since the condition can also affect inactive individuals.

Hills, steps and uneven terrain tend to aggravate patellofemoral pain. When LPOS develops, even prolonged sitting can already be painful due to the increase in pressure between the femur and patella during knee flexing.

Symptoms of LPOS include a sharp localized pain and inflammation, which prevents runners, cyclists and athlete from continuing as it takes several day to recover. Experts estimate that one in eight active men and one in five active women have the symptoms of LPOS in varying degree.

Current treatment methods include the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, steroid injections and if all else fails, surgery. Still, despite all these treatment options, most patients reported reduced activity levels and persistent pain.

Knee pain can wreck even the most dedicated cyclist, making pedalling too painful especially on rough terrains or steep slopes. Although there are many holistic ways to alleviate knee pain, from getting a correct bike fit to stretching, medical treatment is still necessary.

Botox for Knee Pain

That is where Botox for knee pain comes in. Based on a recent study published by the American Journal of Sports Medicine, 45 patients with classified LPOS who failed to recover from conventional therapy were administered with Dysport, a type of Botulinum toxin injection, along with physiotherapy. The researchers noted that the patients had overused tensor fascia muscle in the hips rather than the gluteal muscles at the buttocks.

Researchers found out the reason why physiotherapy was not effective in the past – when the patients were performing exercises intended to ease the pain by strengthening the glutes, the tensor fascia lata muscle was still compensating, which concludes that the exercises have minimal effect.

Subjects first done physiotherapy alone but failed. Next, researchers used Dysport in the hip muscle to relax the tensor fascia lata to push the glute muscles to work harder. The Dysport treatment was followed up with physiotherapy to further strengthen the butt muscles.

Most athletes who participated in the study had exhausted all treatment options and Botox for knee pain was their last resort. Of the patients treated, almost 70 percent remained free of pain for five years after the experiment.
Although the research is an exciting new development for riders suffering from knee pain, it is worth to note that getting proper bike fit, appropriate muscle balance and sufficient recovery time can help your knee pain in control before considering Botox for knee pain.

Most people knew Botox as a drug that can eliminate wrinkles and facial lines to bring back youthful appearance. However, Botox can also help those suffering from excessive sweating, a condition known as hyperhidrosis.

Today, more and more people are getting Botox to control excessive sweating. Common areas include armpits, the palm of the hands, sole of the feet and even the scalp. And now, people are also getting Botox injections in their groin area too.

The groin area – the trough running from the hips where the genitals is situated, has folds that trap the belly skin and leg skin. This is the area where people, especially those obese, tend to trap a lot of moisture. The maker of Botox, Allergan, claims the toxin injection can block the nerve signals that stimulate sweat glands.

Excessive sweating in the groin area can cause problems, particularly if you are obese or overweight. People who are obese or overweight often have an overhang on the lower abdomen. For thin individuals, it is not an issue of concern since they would have less overhang of lower belly that can trap moisture or sweat.

Botox on Groin Area

Botox injections done for hyperhidrosis of the armpits is usually done between 4 to 6 months since that is how long Botox lasts. As for Botox on groin area, the coverage is about the same as the armpits. Discomfort that can experienced is minimal. In fact, it is more painful in the face than in groin area as the nerve density in the groin is less than on the face.

The injections of Botox on groin aren’t really big but they spread in multiple tiny injections. The reason for doing this is to fully cover the groin area. If you only inject one or two areas, it will be hard to disperse the medication.

As for the risks, the injections of Botox on groin area is very superficial. There should not be any risk as long as the person performing the procedure knows what he/she is doing. Also, the muscles in the groin area are huge, major muscles so the small amount of Botox administered in this area isn’t going to cause any harm.

One of the biggest benefits of Botox on groin area is that it can reduce the risk of developing fungal or yeast infections. Of course, Botox won’t prevent these infections because what it does is only reduce the wetness or moisture in that area. However, by reducing the moisture of the area and keeping the area drier, there is less chance yeast or fungi develop in the groin area.