Muscle Relaxants for Muscle Pain

Muscle relaxants are medications that help reduce muscle tension and spasms. They are commonly used to treat conditions such as muscle strains, back pain, and fibromyalgia. Muscle relaxants work by depressing the central nervous system to provide relief from muscle-related discomfort.

muscle relaxants FAQ

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What are muscle relaxers used for?

Muscle relaxers, or muscle relaxants, are medications used to treat muscle spasms or muscle spasticity. Muscle spasms or cramps are sudden, involuntary contractions of a muscle or group of muscles. They can be caused by too much muscle strain and lead to pain. They’re associated with conditions such as lower back pain, neck pain, and fibromyalgia.

What are muscle relaxants?

Muscle relaxants are medicines that are used to prevent and reduce muscle spasms and tightness (spasticity). Muscle spasms occur when there is an uncontrolled (involuntary) contraction of a group of muscles. The muscles usually shorten (contract) suddenly; this is often painful.

How do muscle relaxers work?

Muscle relaxers are prescription medications that help regulate muscle contraction (tightening) to reduce pain and discomfort caused by muscle spasms and muscle spasticity (stiffness). Short-term use of muscle relaxers relieves pain caused by tense or spasming muscles and improves daily functioning. 1 Barreto TW, Lin KW.

Do you need a muscle relaxer if you have muscle spasms?

If you have neck or back pain, or you’re dealing with some other condition that causes muscle spasms, your doctor might prescribe a muscle relaxer (or muscle relaxant) for you. Having a muscle spasm means that one or more of your muscles is contracting and the twitching or cramping is out of your control.

What are muscle relaxers?

Muscle relaxers (also called muscle relaxants) are prescription medications that affect muscle function. Healthcare providers prescribe them to treat several symptoms, such as muscle spasms, spasticity and musculoskeletal pain. The term “muscle relaxant” refers to two major drug classes: antispastics and antispasmodics.

What is a muscle relaxant used for?

It may be used to alleviate symptoms such as muscle spasms, pain, and hyperreflexia. The term "muscle relaxant" is used to refer to two major therapeutic groups: neuromuscular blockers and spasmolytics. Neuromuscular blockers act by interfering with transmission at the neuromuscular end plate and have no central nervous system (CNS) activity.

Are muscle relaxants a common prescription?

Muscle relaxants are a somewhat common prescription due to the frequency of acute and chronic back pain. Low back pain is a very common issue — it remains among the top five reasons people see a primary healthcare provider. Most cases of low back pain resolve without medical intervention.

Are muscle relaxers safe?

There are two classes of muscle relaxers. Antispasmodics reduce spasms by inhibiting signals in the brain, while antispastics affect the spinal cord and reduce muscle tightness and spasms. Muscle relaxers are not safe for everyone. Below, we describe the different types, recommended dosages for adults, and possible side effects.