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Dosages of Botox Treatment for Cerebral Palsy

A common symptom of cerebral palsy (CP), a neurological disorder, is abnormal muscle tightness and stiffness. While there is no cure, there are several treatments -- including botox treatment. Botox, commonly used cosmetically to prevent wrinkles, can assist with relaxing muscles. However, too much botox treatment can be fatal (see References 1). Doctors must make sure to administer the proper dosages.

  1. How Botox Treatment Works

    • The doctor injects botox directly into the muscles. The injection stops transmission between nerves and muscles. This allows the muscle to relax. To fully benefit from the botox treatment, the patient should receive frequent sessions of physical therapy in the months following the injection. The relaxed muscles give a physical therapist the ability to better stretch her patient. Between the botox treatment and physical therapy, a person with cerebral palsy will likely see improvements with range in motion and gait (the manner in which you walk). (See References 1)

    Proper Dosages

    • At no point should a patient be injected with more than 400 units of botox treatment. No one injection site should be injected with more than 50 units at one time. Large muscles can safely be injected with three to six units per kg. Small muscles should not exceed limits of one to two units per kg. Botox treatment is distributed to doctor's offices in 50- and 100-unit vials. Before use, doctors dilute the dosage. The concentration used for diluting can vary. However, the botox-to-concentration ratio remains the same. Doctors dilute dosages at the ratio of .01 ml for every 5 to 10 units of botox treatment (see References 2).

    Repetition

    • Botox treatment is not a permanent fix for cerebral palsy patients. The effects of the treatment usually wear off within four months of injection. Once the effects start to wear off, patients should go back to receive another round of injections (see References 1). However, a minimum three-month waiting period between injections is required to ensure the maximum dosage level of botox treatment is not exceeded (see References 2).

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