A drug used to smooth out wrinkles has helped tackle back pain.

Botox has helped nurse Rebecca Jones conquer the back pain which has plagued her since childhood - and play properly with her three-year-old daughter Amber.

Mrs Jones is now able to pick up her daughter and hold her without experiencing any pain.

The treatment involved injecting botox directly into the lower back muscle to treat spasms, where the muscle contracts excessively.

Rebecca Jones: Life is so much better

Doctors offering the treatment at Bupa's Clare Park Hospital in Farnham, Surrey say it is not a guaranteed cure, but can significantly reduce the pain people experience.

Mrs Jones said: "Ever since being knocked down by a motorcyclist when I was eight years old, I've suffered a sharp pain in my lower back and down my right leg.

"Sometimes if I stood up from bending down my leg would buckle under me so I felt worried about picking up Amber."

She added: "The pain was usually bad at night and sometimes I'd have to take painkillers so I could get some sleep.

Mrs Jones went to see an osteopath and a physiotherapist who were able to offer some help. But neither was able to get rid of the pain.

But she says the botox injection has worked.

"After the injection it felt quite numb and like I had a big bruise on my back for about 10 days.

"I can still feel a slight tingling pain but it is nothing compared to how it was."

I'm not claiming miracles Dr Kevin Markham

"It's great because I can now do things that people take for granted without worrying that my leg may give way, such as bending down to get something from the fridge, or get in or out of the car."

But she added: "Best of all I can now hold my daughter without worrying that I'll get backache or drop her."

Pain reduction

Botox was developed to treat muscular problems, but is also used in cosmetic treatments to eradiate wrinkles.

Dr Kevin Markham, the pain specialist who treated Mrs Jones, said: "Anecdotally, with the patients I've been treating it's been a moderate success.

"I'm not claiming miracles. However, the duration of the effect is a lot longer than we would normally expect.

"Our patients see more than a 50% reduction in pain."

He said the botox treatment, which costs around �200, affected the muscle's ability to contract, or spasm, thereby reducing the pain

He has treated almost 75 patients altogether.

Patients have to be referred by their GP. If the drug is deemed suitable it is injected into the muscle while the patient is sedated or under local anaesthetic.

If a deeper muscle is affected, Dr Markham uses an X-ray or scanner to guide him.

The botox gives patients pain relief for three to six months.

They are then given physiotherapy so they can learn how to keep their muscles relaxed using exercises such as stretching.

Doctors in the US have used botox to treat back pain for the last five years