Botox injections have been popular in the United States for quite some time now, with millions of Americans looking to the procedure to give them a more youthful look. A study done by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons revealed that in 2012 Americans spent more than $11 billion on the procedure in an effort to enhance their facial appearance. Apparently botox can also have an impact on other areas of the body, as French cyclist Pauline Ferrand-Prévot learned in the months leading up to the Rio Olympics.
Ferrand-Prévot, who will represent France in the mountain biking and road biking competitions, used the procedure to address the pain associated with a pinched sciatic nerve in her hip. Per L’Equipe Ferrand-Prévot underwent a total of four injections in her problematic hip, two in June and another two just before she left France for Rio. And the procedures have worked, with Ferrand-Prévot not experiencing any pain in her hip.
“[French team doctor] Jacky Maillot told me one of his colleagues is a specialist with this problem,” explained Ferrand-Prévot. “After injection of botulinum toxin, I felt it was much better.”
“I have no more pain,” Ferrand-Prévot told L’Equipe. “With an injection, you cannot ride for three days, you cannot race for ten days. [Botox] is not prohibited and the next day, you can train.”
Ferrand_Prevot has won world championships in both mountain biking and road racing, with the mountain biking world title coming in 2014 and the road racing gold in 2015, and she also won a cyclo-cross world title last year. She’s one of the favorites to medal in Rio, and to be pain-free can only help her chances of fulfilling that promise.
