I've been looking at the Botox studies & here is a
summary of what I have found. There are lots of Botox
studies on the net for Low Back Pain(LBP) & piriformis
syndrome(PS) (and just about everything else.) For the
most part, they use a small number of patients, who
get short term pain relief (4-6 weeks) & therefore,
they consider that an effective treatment of
Piriformis syndrome. Many recommend the injection(s)
in conjunction with PT/physio for PS.

My impression is the Pain Mgmt doctors are hoping
Botox is the magic bullet they have been looking for &
they are using for everything.

Unexpectedly, I found the 2007 policy guidelines
issued by Blue Cross & Atnea health insurance
companies regarding the use of Botox for PS & LBP.
They consider its use experimental/investigational.
Which means they generally won't pay for it - though
it depends on how your policy is written.

As I said before, most of our members that have had
Botox only reported short term pain relief - no long
term solution.

If there are any members who have had L5-S1 fusions &
the Botox injections, PLEASE tell use your experience.
Joyce could use the additional information to make her
decision.

In fact, if there are newer members who have not
shared their Botox experiences, we would like to hear
from you as well. Thanks, Mary



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