Muscle Relaxants Research Paper

People who suffer with muscle pain often turn to treatments that involve muscle relaxants. Skeletal muscle relaxants are categorized as a heterogeneous group of drugs. As a class, they are structurally and pharmacologically diverse. These drugs are used to stabilize muscle excitability, decrease pain, and improve motor function. They employ their pharmacologic effect centrally at the level of the spinal cord, the brainstem, or the cerebrum. They have no impact, if any effect at the muscle fiber level. Muscle relaxants can be divided into two main categories; antispasmodic and antispasticity agents. This class of drugs are used to treat spasms from peripheral musculoskeletal conditions, and to decrease spasticity in neurological disorders, such

' (Lance 1980). Conditions that are linked with spasticity and are often treated with muscle relaxants are spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and traumatic brain injury. Patients with these conditions and suffer with spasticity will most likely suffer with disabilities and pain, which may affect their functional ability and quality of life.

As talked about before muscle relaxants are used to treat and reduce muscle spasms and spasticity. Muscle relaxants work by causing the muscles to relax, which reduces pain and discomfort. These medications don 't actually act on the muscles themselves but they act on both the central and peripheral nervous

With every drug comes side effects and certain elements that must be taken into consideration before a medication is administered. Baclofen side effects include; mood changes, nausea, drowsiness, fatigue, vision disturbances, weakness, headache, light headedness, confusion and insomnia. Baclofen can also cause seizures and hallucinations, high fever, rebound spasticity, and muscle rigidity if discontinued abruptly. It is important that anyone taking muscle relaxants such as Baclofen understand the effects it has on the body. Those who operate heavy machinery or those who depend on muscle strength must take into consideration that Baclofen dose cause drowsiness and effects the alertness of those taking it. It is commonly recommend to take these medications at night or in times of rest to decrease any potential injuries from the side effects of the