Treating headaches with botulinum toxin.

Botulinum toxin type A (BT-a) has been shown to effectively treat several types of neurological disorders. For over 15 years it has been used clinically also for the prophylaxis and treatment of various types of primary headache disorders. Although BT-a efficacy has not been proven in tension-type headache, its use in migraine continues to cause controversy. There is adequate data to support the hypothesis, beside its well known effect on acetylcholine release, of an additional antinociceptive effect related to a block in the local release of nociceptive neuropeptides.