Muscle relaxants can be used for the management of strained necks or backs as well as for all-over muscle stiffness occurring from trauma, such as a motor vehicle accident.  It is usually used on a short-term basis for pain relief. However, there are some patients, such as those with chronic back problems or chronic pain syndromes like fibromyalgia, that use muscle relaxants on a regular basis.

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Muscle relaxants are not typically a single class of medication but are rather a group of separate drugs that relax the muscles of the body.  They do not act specifically on the muscles.  Instead, their action is on the brain and how it perceives muscle stiffness.  It works on the whole body and all the muscles.

Below is a list of the most common muscle relaxants.

The dose of this drug is 350 mg every 8 hours for spasms of the muscles.  It is habit-forming so it is commonly used just for a few days or for a few weeks.  It should not be used with alcohol as this increases the sedative effect and increases the addictive potential of the muscle relaxant.

This medication is often used on a long term basis when compared to other muscle relaxants. Chemically, it is related to certain antidepressant medications but it does not have any antidepressant effect itself. It is given at 10 mg every 6 hours as needed for muscle spasms, neck or back pain. It has a sedative effect so it does help the patient sleep better with their pain.