KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) -
When you think of Botox, you probably think of mostly women using it to look younger. But it turns out, it can help another group of people battling a debilitating disease.
"I was not aware of Botox," Charlie Rome.
Rome, 70, is among 400,000 Americans living with Multiple Sclerosis. For Rome, muscle spasticity is the most difficult symptom – that's when muscles stiffen up, causing sometimes painful contortions of the limbs, fingers or toes.
Rome recently began receiving Botox injections in his right arm and ankle.
His doctor is Sharon Lynch, the head of the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She said the same Botox used to get rid of wrinkles can be given to MS patients to treat spasticity.
"What the Botox does is relax those muscles so that the person can use the other muscles to compensate," Lynch said. "He has spasticity in his arm and his stiffness in his arm is causing pain, and it's also causing trouble with him moving his arm effectively to put his clothes on and things like that."
Rome is already seeing a different after only a couple of treatments.
"I can move my hand and spread my fingers apart better," he said.
Rome's wife Lorrie noticed a change in her husband's right foot. She said it used to contort inward, making it hard to put on his shoes.
"One day I realized that his foot was straight again, so it was a gradual return to normal," Lorrie said.
During the process, doctors inject specific sites on a patient's body part, targeting the constricting muscles. The Botox paralyzes the muscle, allowing the others to function like they're supposed to.
Lynch said she commonly uses Botox in her practice and that Rome should continue to see results.
"By relaxing his muscles, he will get less pain and be able to move more freely, to get dressed more easily, and to move a little easier," Lynch said.
For Rome, Botox is one more weapon against the illness and he's hoping it will free his hand from the grip of MS, allowing him to do something he's wanted for a long time.
"I've always liked to give people a firm handshake, and I'm looking forward to being able to do that again," he said.
During any given week, 200 people will be diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Most insurance covers the cost of Botox for MS.
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