Botulism is a serious illness whose symptoms include difficulty speaking and paralysis. The disease is caused by botulinum toxin, a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, and while the disease can be fatal, intensive treatment can prevent death in most cases. However, botulinum toxin can also be used as treatment for various illnesses when applied in correct doses. This volume includes four chapters that describe various therapeutic uses of botulinum toxin. Chapter One reviews the mechanism of action, therapeutic uses, best practices, current applications, effectiveness and available evidence of botulinum toxin application in various musculoskeletal disorders. Chapter Two focuses on the technical aspects of botulinum toxin use for treatment of sialorrhea and reported outcomes. Chapter Three describes the use of botulinum toxin as treatment for hyperkinetic movement disorders including blepharospasm, oromandibular dystonia, and hemifacial spasm. Lastly, Chapter Four deals with the use of botulinum toxin for treatment of hemimasticatory and hemifacial spasm in scleroderma.
