A pilot trial of onabotulinumtoxinA for the treatment of cervicothoracic myofascial pain

This placebo-controlled crossover trial investigate the safety and efficacy of onabotulinumtoxinA (BOTOX, Allergan, Inc.) for the treatment of cervical myofascial pain syndrome (CMPS). A group of subjects with Cervical Dystonia (CD) served as additional controls. A change in diary pain score from baseline to week 3 in placebo vs. onabotulinumtoxinA was the primary outcome measure. Both CMPS and CD subjects showed a trend towards significant pain relief from onabotulinumtoxinA. This suggests that the study was underpowered and that a larger sample size would be necessary in future trials of onabotulinumtoxinA for CMPS.