Can botox be used to alleviate pain in a jaw disorder?

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) limits jaw function and is so painful that it lessens the quality of life. Botulinum toxin—also known as botox—is emerging as an effective treatment option, but there are concerns about side effects, like muscle dysfunction. Eungyung Kim and Yu Shin Kim, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, led a study using a mouse model of TMD to explore the possibility of using botox as a treatment. 

In their JNeurosci paper, the researchers discovered that injecting botox directly into the male mouse temporomandibular joint (TMJ) instead of surrounding muscle tissue reduced TMD-related pain without causing side effects. More specifically, hypersensitivity and pain from TMD were mitigated without impairing general movement abilities and feeding behavior. The researchers also found that the botox injections they delivered reduced TMD-related neural activity. On a molecular level, mice that received botox injections into the TMJ had less expression of proteins that promote pain. 

While sex differences remain unexplored, according to the authors, this work suggests it may be possible to overcome botox side effects by avoiding muscle tissue and injecting the toxin directly into the TMJ. 

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About JNeurosci 

JNeurosci was launched in 1981 as a means to communicate the findings of the highest quality neuroscience research to the growing field. Today, the journal remains committed to publishing cutting-edge neuroscience that will have an immediate and lasting scientific impact, while responding to authors' changing publishing needs, representing breadth of the field and diversity in authorship. 

About The Society for Neuroscience 

The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 35,000 members in more than 95 countries.