Treatment Options for Hemifacial Spasms
15 in every 100,000 women have hemifacial spasms, a condition in which the patient has frequent and involuntary contractions of the facial muscles, according to the University of Maryland Medical School. With a hemifacial spasm, the muscle contractions occur on only one side of the face.Both women and men can have this neuromuscular condition, though women have it more often. Patients begin having symptoms of this disorder in their 40s.
To diagnose hemifacial spasms, a physician will conduct a neurological exam. Different scans may be ordered to rule out conditions that can cause these symptoms……
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke noted that the most effective treatment for hemifacial spasms is botulinum toxin injections. Botulinum toxin, also called Botox, works by paralyzing the muscle by blocking release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. If the muscle does not receive acetylcholine, it does not receive the message to move.
Read the full article at http://www.empowher.com/hemifacial-spasm/content/treatment-options-hemifacial-spasms
Source: by Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch for EmpowerHer on December 5, 2011 at http://www.empowher.com/hemifacial-spasm/content/treatment-options-hemifacial-spasms
