Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 25, 2025

Isolation and Quantification of Botulinum Neurotoxin From Complex Matrices Using the BoTest Matrix Assays
Published on: March 3, 2014
[Clinical use of botulinum toxin type A in pain medicine]
A Schwarzer1,2, T Mäcken3, E K Enax-Krumova4
1Abteilung für Schmerzmedizin, BG Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil gGmbH, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Deutschland. andreas.schwarzer@bergmannsheil.de.
Abstract:
Botulinum toxin has been used for decades in the treatment of a variety of painful diseases. Botulinum toxin not only blocks neuromuscular transmission, but also the secretion of neuropeptides, such as substance P, glutamate and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and thus inhibits neurogenic inflammation. In addition, it has a modulatory pain-relieving effect via retrograde transport into the central nervous system. In addition to approval for the treatment of dystonia or spasticity, onabotulinum toxin A is also approved for the prophylaxis of chronic migraine if the oral prophylactic migraine medication has had an insufficient effect or has not been tolerated. In addition, botulinum toxin is also recommended in guidelines as a third-line treatment for neuropathic pain, but in Germany this is an off-label application. This article provides an overview of the current clinically relevant areas of application of botulinum toxin in the field of pain medicine.
Related Concept Videos
Directly Acting Muscle Relaxants: Dantrolene and Botulinum Toxin
The binding of dantrolene to the RYR1...
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses
Analgesia and Pain Management
Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses
Centrally acting drugs are classified into spasmolytic and antispasmodic drugs. Spasmolytic drugs such as baclofen, diazepam, and tizanidine inhibit spinal motor neurons and decrease muscle tone. Spasmolytic drugs are administered for severe and chronic spasms due to multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, and spinal cord and muscle injuries. However,...
Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants
Peripherally acting skeletal muscle relaxants interfere with the neurotransmission at the neuromuscular end plate to induce paralysis during...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia

