Skeletal muscle relaxants
- Heterogeneous drugs for spasm/spasticity
- Many act centrally and are sedating
- Baclofen/tizanidine target spasticity
- Cyclobenzaprine-type drugs target acute spasm
- Evidence for chronic nonspecific pain is limited
- Falls/CNS-depressant combinations are concerns
Class at a glance
- Heterogeneous drugs for spasm/spasticity
Practical pearls
- Baclofen/tizanidine target spasticity
Clinical role
- Cyclobenzaprine-type drugs target acute spasm
- Evidence for chronic nonspecific pain is limited
Safety / monitoring
- Many act centrally and are sedating
- Falls/CNS-depressant combinations are concerns
Self-check
- Which muscle relaxants target spasticity?
Baclofen and tizanidine. - How strong is evidence for muscle relaxants in chronic nonspecific pain?
Limited.
Drugs in this class (9)
Skeletal muscle relaxants prescription history
Animated chart of estimated U.S. prescriptions per year, Muscle relaxants (1950–2026).
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