- A purified toxin made famous by its ability to smooth facial wrinkles may now be on the verge of helping an entirely different group of people. Botox is showing promise for some patients with diabetes.

It's one of the hottest things in cosmetic surgery: using Botox to fight wrinkles. The purified bacteria is injected into muscles in order to weaken their ability to contract. Now it's being investigated for its ability to prevent diabetic foot ulcers.

"It's a very complicated patient group," said Mary Hastings, a physical therapist at Washington University School of Medicine. Hastings is now leading a local study that may lead to a rather simple solution.

People with diabetic foot ulcers are being given a one-time dose of Botox in their calf muscles. Six shots in total weaken the leg muscle, making it difficult to apply too much pressure to the bottom of the foot when walking. The end result could be a decreased chance of a foot sore developing.

"(There was a thought of) maybe we can weaken the muscle temporarily," said Hastings, "(and) give the skin some time to increase its tolerance to the stress of walking and then they wouldn't have the have this high of a recurrence rate."

Robinson got just one series of shots almost a year ago. Because it's a double-blind study, neither he nor Hastings knows whether he got Botox or a placebo. All he knows is he's been foot-ulcer free ever since.

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