Objective:To evaluate the analgesic effects of lidocaine cream and ice application during botulinum toxin type A treatment on bilateral gastrocnemius hypertrophy.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted, including 60 patients who underwent botulinum toxin type A treatment for bilateral gastrocnemius hypertrophy at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital from January 2020 to January 2022. Patients were divided into two groups based on the analgesic methods: lidocaine surface anesthesia group (lidocaine group, 30 cases) and ice application analgesia group (ice group, 30 cases). The lidocaine group consisted of 2 males and 28 females, with a mean age of (27.0±5.0) years, while the ice group consisted of 30 females, with a mean age of (26.2±4.4) years. Depending on individual needs, 100-200 U of botulinum toxin type A was injected into the calf muscle of each patient. In the lidocaine group, nurses applied lidocaine cream to the injection area and covered it with a film before injection. In the ice group, nurses used custom-made ice packs to surround the injection site for 10 minutes. Pain levels were assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) during injection, including pain scores for needle puncture and drug injection. The incidence of postoperative adverse reactions and patient satisfaction rates were also recorded.Results:The VAS score for needle puncture pain was (2.60±1.25) in the lidocaine group and (2.30±1.12) in the ice group, with no statistically significant difference ( P=0.331). However, the VAS score for drug injection pain was significantly higher in the lidocaine group (3.47±1.25) than that in the ice group (2.77±1.28, P=0.036). The overall analgesic VAS score was (3.37±1.16) in the lidocaine group, also significantly higher than that (2.60±1.25) in the ice group ( P=0.017). Two patients in the lidocaine group experienced localized swelling, and one reported localized itching with a rash, while no adverse reactions were observed in the ice group. Patient satisfaction rates were 86.7% (26/30) in the lidocaine group and 93.3% (28/30) in the ice group. Conclusions:Ice application provides superior analgesic effects compared to lidocaine cream surface anesthesia during botulinum toxin type A treatment for bilateral gastrocnemius hypertrophy.