Many migraine suffers are turning to a product that is often used for cosmetic purposes to reduce the occurrence of the debilitating headaches.
People who live in Calgary often blame the weather fluctuations on the heavy headaches and there is research which does show a correlation between barometric pressure and migraines.
The number one trigger for migraine headaches is hormonal.
Women are most prone to the headaches between the ages of 10 and 40 and the pain tends to lessen or disappear after menopause.
Doctors are now using Botox on patients to treat migraines when standard pain medications fail to alleviate the pain.
"It hasn't been the miracle cure that I would loved to find but it absolutely improves my quality of life in the sense that I don't get them daily like I used to," said migraine sufferer, Tanya Stewart.
Tanya Stewart has had migraines since she was a child and she has never really responded well to the typical treatments.
The Botox has helped reduced the frequency and severity of her headaches but she still uses pain medication as well.
Stewart receives about 25 to 35 injections in her head, neck and shoulders every three months.
It is not clear how Botox actually works with migraines but there is some evidence that shows that Botox affects the pain nerves and therefore dulls the pain.
"We do think that there's some evidence that Botox desensitizes the pain nerves in the head and neck and that's how it reduces the migraine attacks," said Dr. Werner Becker, Neurologist.
About ten percent of Canadians suffer from migraine pain.
