Botox injections could help pain relief for Ukrainian war amputees
How Botox could be used to help war amputees
- A study led by Northwestern Medicine and Ukrainian physicians found that Botox injections could significantly reduce phantom limb pain in Ukrainian war amputees.
- The research involved 160 amputees, treated between 2022 and 2024 at two hospitals in western Ukraine, many of whom lost limbs due to Russia's full-scale invasion.
- Researchers administered botulinum toxin directly around painful nerve endings and soft tissues, a novel method aimed at quieting nerve activity and local inflammation.
- After one month, patients receiving Botox experienced an average four-point reduction in phantom limb pain on a 10-point scale, significantly more than the one-point reduction seen in the control group.
- The pain-relieving benefits of the Botox injections typically lasted for about three months, prompting calls for larger trials to explore sustained treatment options.