Botox has become famous as the world’s most popular aesthetic treatment, smoothing away crows’ feet and frown lines to make us look instantly younger and more refreshed. There’s also a number of surprising medical uses for this wonder drug including as a voice disorder treatment, helping people regain their voices.
Dysphonia is a disorder of the larynx that can make the voice sound hoarse, shaky, strained or breathy and occurs when the muscles in the voice box experience involuntary spasms. Even normal everyday communication can become challenging and fatiguing and impact on quality of life.
Small amounts of botulinum toxin injected into the muscles of the larynx limit the release of neurotransmitters that cause these muscles to spasm. Results aren’t instantaneous, but over the next couple of weeks, the patient should notice that their voice sounds smoother.
