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EXCLUSIVE 'Miracle' side effect of common cosmetic procedure could help millions of Australians - but it'll set you back thousands
More Aussies are splashing the cash for Botox, but the trend isn't just for facial slimming, it's also helping sufferers of a painful medical condition.
Nearly five million Australians experience migraines with 7.6 per cent of patients struggling with the debilitating effects more than 15 days a month, a study by Headaches Australia found.
Yet despite costing the economy an estimated $35.7billion per year, patients using a procedure proven to reduce the frequency and severity of migraines need to pay out of pocket.
Kate Sowden, a nurse and co-founder of Brisbane's BeautyFULL Cosmetic Medical Clinic, has noticed an increase in customers requesting jaw Botox, also known as Masseter Botox, for migraine relief.
While she cannot treat migraines, she has noticed that customers who have Botox in their jaw suffer less headaches.
'I first heard about Masseter Botox being associated with migraine relief a few years ago, through both clinical discussions and feedback from patients who noticed their headaches had eased following treatment,' Ms Sowden told Daily Mail Australia.
'Masseter Botox is primarily used to help with jaw tension, teeth grinding and facial slimming, with reports of reduced headache frequency coming as a welcomed side effect.'
While Botox is making waves for its medicinal applications, it is still often dismissed as only a cosmetic tool by doctors.
'Awareness has definitely grown in the past 12 to 18 months. Social media, TikTok especially, has played a big role in bringing treatments like Masseter Botox into mainstream conversations,' Ms Sowden said.
'It has helped to move away from the use for aesthetic reasons, to the use for functional benefits.
'Still, many people are surprised to learn that this kind of injectable can potentially help with tension-related symptoms.'
Jude Kingston began using Masseter Botox four years ago after suffering an average of one migraine a week.
'Now I get maybe one every six weeks and, for me, the Botox normally lasts about four months,' she told Daily Mail Australia.
Despite the success seen in Ms Kingston and several other Masseter Botox patients, the muscle relaxing treatment is not subsidised unless patients see a specialist.
'Cosmetic Botox, including Masseter treatment for jaw tension or aesthetic concerns, is not covered by Medicare or private health insurance in Australia,' Ms Sowden said.
'Only neurologist-administered therapeutic Botox for chronic migraines, offered under specific criteria, may qualify for a Medicare subsidy.
'It's essential that clients seeking medical migraine treatment go through the proper diagnostic channels with a neurologist.'
While it's important for patients to ensure they're suited to the treatment, seeing a specialist and meeting the current subsidy criteria is a long and costly process.
In order to qualify, patients must have suffered more than 15 days of headache in a month, tried at least three migraine treatments, be managed for medication overuse headache, treated by a neurologist and over 18 years old.
Even if they pass eligibility, the Botox must be prescribed and administered by a neurologist.
Pricing at Ms Sowden's clinic starts at $400 per session but 'varies based on muscle strength and how many units are required'. The effects of the treatment last between three and five months.
'We've definitely noticed more people enquiring about Masseter Botox in the context of migraines over the past year,' Ms Sowden said.
'Many are either undiagnosed or struggling to find long-term solutions, and come across muscle relaxant options online.
'In a cosmetic clinic like ours, we don't treat migraines medically but we can offer Masseter Botox for clients dealing with jaw clenching, TMJ discomfort, or bruxism.
