Botox can Help Stroke Patients

Recent study shows that botox injections can help stroke patients by improving muscle control and easing limb pain.

Perhaps best known for its wrinkle-banishing ability, Botox can also help stroke patients with uncontrolled limb movements recover some functioning, according to a new study.

Repeated injections of Botox, or botulinum toxin type A, helped stroke survivors regain enough function to perform everyday activities such as dressing themselves without pain, said Dr. Allison Brashear, a professor and chairman of neurology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, N.C.

"It's evident that Botox makes a difference in function," she said.

Brashear presented the findings Friday at the American Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation annual meeting, in Philadelphia. The study was funded by Allergan Inc., the company that developed Botox.

Read more: Botox Helps Stroke Patients