The landmark paper discussed in this chapter is ‘Botulinum toxin type A induces direct analgesic effects in chronic neuropathic pain’, published by Ranoux et al. in 2008. The muscle-relaxant properties of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) have long been known and used therapeutically. However, BTX-A actions independent of those affecting neuromuscular function had previously only been alluded to, via the observation that BTX-A injections alleviated pain more than would have been expected through the treatment of muscle spasm alone. This paper was one of the first to specifically examine the efficacy of BTX-A in neuropathic pain and was a catalyst for further investigation into BTX-A as a novel analgesic.
Ultrasound-Guided Nerve Block with Botulinum Toxin Type A for Intractable Neuropathic Pain
