Treating dystonia with botox
 

Has anyone used botox to treat dystonia? I have dystonia in the right side shoulder/neck and in my right calf affecting my right foot being able to be placed flat on the ground.
How often do you have to get repeat injections?
Side effects?
How well did it work for you?

Thanks

My husband used botox injections in his shoulder because he was being pulled to one side and slightly forward. He had to use a cane to help keep him straight enough to be able to walk. The injections usually lasted 5-6 months, and after a little more than a year, he was able to discontinue them and he could stand and walk normally. The down side was that it made the muscles in that shoulder atrophy, and it took almost a year to build them back up, and they still aren't quite as strong as they once were. The other problem.....the injections are very expensive. My husband's insurance paid for the procedures, but I understand a lot of policies do not. It may require having to convince the insurance company that the botox is not being used for cosmetic purposes. (You wouldn't think that would be hard to do, but you know insurance companies!)