The injection of botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox, is the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure in the world, with 5.4 million procedures performed in the United States in 2010. Botox works by paralyzing certain facial nerves, restoring a smooth, youthful appearance to the face by allowing other muscles to pull the skin.

However, you might be surprised to learn that Botox has many amazing uses, which can improve the lives of spinal migraine and cerebral palsy sufferers with simple injections.

Low cerebrospinal fluid headaches are a rare type of migraine caused by spinal fluid leaks that cause the brain to sag within the skull. The pain caused by this condition can be overwhelming, and sufferers frequently find that existing therapies can barely touch the pain. Lying down is often the only way that they can relieve the pain, so that much of their lives are spent prostrate.

As the Mayo Clinic recently discovered, the paralytic powers of Botox can help when nothing else works. One woman, who lived with this debilitating condition for 25 years, had Botox administered to numb the nerve; to everyone’s surprise, she made a strong improvement. Her pain has largely subsided and she finds it easier to live a normal life.

On the other side of the world, a Botox treatment program for Australian children living with cerebral palsy has proven highly successful since it began in February. The injections relax the children’s leg muscles, preventing the spasms that are characteristic of the disease, and allowing them to walk with supports. This leads to a huge improvement in the children’s quality of life. The injections have also proven useful in alleviating leg pains and cramping that afflict the children, especially during the night.