London - Botox injections could be a new treatment for Raynaud’s Phenomenon - a common, painful condition affecting the extremities, usually the fingers and toes. It’s caused by exposure to the cold and can lead to numbness, tingling and the exposed body part turning white, then red or blue.
Now, researchers from Emory University in the US are using Botox on the hands of 20 patients with the condition. It’s thought Raynaud’s results from problems with the blood vessels, which contract quickly in the cold and cause pain - and that Botox may block the action of noradrenaline, the chemical that triggers this effect.
One theory is that the disruptions in the nervous system stimulate increased levels of noradrenaline. In the trial, the doctors will inject only one hand, then compare how the hands react to the cold.
The trial follows a small study that showed patients remained pain-free for up to five years after a single Botox injection.
The Raynaud’s & Schleroderma Association estimates there may be ten million sufferers in the UK. The condition predominantly affects women - up to 10 percent are thought to suffer to some degree. - Daily Mail