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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
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. Spasticity occurs when some muscles contract tightly and can then become stiff and harder to use.Several muscle relaxants are available to prescribe in the UK. They include:Baclofen.Dantrolene.Diazepam.Clonazepam.Tizanidine.Gabapentin.Methocarbamol.A cannabis extract containing dronabinol and cannabidiol (trade name Sativex®).Most muscle relaxant preparations are available as tablets, capsules, or liquids. Baclofen is also available as an injection into the back (an intrathecal injection).Diazepam is also available as a liquid that can be inserted into the back passage (rectum) and there is a diazepam preparation that can be injected into muscle.Cannabis extract is only available as a spray for the mouth. Other treatments sometimes used for muscle spasticity are injections into the affected areas with Botox® (botulinum toxin) and other chemicals.No - you cannot buy muscle relaxants. They are only available from your pharmacy, on prescription.Muscle relaxants work by causing the muscles to become less tense or stiff, which in turn reduces pain and discomfort. They do this in different ways. Baclofen, diazepam, methocarbamol and tizanidine act on the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Dantrolene works directly on the muscle.Cannabis extract works on the brain and spinal cord as well as the muscles. Because dantrolene only works on the muscles, it is thought to have fewer side-effects compared with other muscle relaxants. For this reason, dantrolene is often the first muscle relaxant to be prescribed for people with long-term muscle spasms.Muscle relaxants are used to relieve muscle spasms which may result from some conditions which affect the nervous system, such as:Multiple sclerosis.Motor neurone disease.Cerebral palsy.Sometimes, injuries to the head or back.Generally, physiotherapy and exercises are better first-line treatments, but medications are sometimes used if these are not working.Multiple sclerosisMuscle relaxants used in MS include baclofen, tizanidine, gabapentin, diazepam, clonazepam, and dantrolene.Cannabis extract (Sativex®) is always started by a consultant in a hospital and is only available on the NHS for a very limited range of uses. The muscle relaxant indication is for people with multiple sclerosis who have tried other muscle relaxants which are not working.In most cases it is given as a four-week trial to see if it helps with symptoms, and can be continued if the symptoms have improved by at least 20%, using a numerical rating scale.Motor neurone diseaseBaclofen, tizanidine, dantrolene, and gabapentin are sometimes used for muscle stiffness or spasticity in people with motor neurone disease. Benzodiazepines such as diazepam, and botulinum toxin (Botox®) injections might be offered by specialists, if other options haven't worked.Cerebral palsyMuscle relaxants used in
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