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Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses

Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses

Skeletal muscle relaxants are used to relax muscle tone and alleviate painful muscle contractions. However, the choice of skeletal muscle relaxants depends on the duration of the surgical procedure in order to minimize potential side effects. Skeletal muscle relaxants like neuromuscular blocking agents [NMBAs] are commonly employed as adjuvants alongside general anesthetics in clinical settings. NMBAs are also used to maintain controlled ventilation during surgery of the larynx or pharynx as...

Directly Acting Muscle Relaxants: Dantrolene and Botulinum Toxin

Directly Acting Muscle Relaxants: Dantrolene and Botulinum Toxin

Directly acting muscle relaxants like dantrolene and botulinum toxin (BoNT) have distinct mechanisms and applications. Dantrolene, a hydantoin derivative, acts on the ryanodine receptor (RYR1) in skeletal muscle cells. RYR1 are calcium channels present at the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. In response to excitation, they release calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum to the cytosol. Calcium promotes actin-myosin-mediated contraction of muscles.
The binding of dantrolene to the RYR1...

Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Adverse Effects

Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Adverse Effects

Skeletal muscle relaxants are widely used for muscle paralysis and relieving pain following any muscle injury or stiffness. However, depending on the drug type, they can have adverse effects that range from mild to severe. Usually, nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockers have minimal side effects. For example, drugs like d-tubocurarine, cisatracurium, and rocuronium cause hypotension, whereas drugs like baclofen, when stopped abruptly, can lead to the recurrence of spastic conditions.
Unlike...

Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants

Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants

Skeletal muscle relaxants are a group of drugs that can reduce muscle stiffness and induce temporary paralysis to relieve pain. These agents can act centrally to reduce muscle tone or spasms in painful conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or spinal injuries; they are called antispasmodics or spasmolytics.
Peripherally acting skeletal muscle relaxants interfere with the neurotransmission at the neuromuscular end plate to induce paralysis during...

Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses

Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses

Centrally acting muscle relaxants reduce muscle tone and tension by interfering with the postsynaptic reflexes in the central nervous system.
Centrally acting drugs are classified into spasmolytic and antispasmodic drugs. Spasmolytic drugs such as baclofen, diazepam, and tizanidine inhibit spinal motor neurons and decrease muscle tone. Spasmolytic drugs are administered for severe and chronic spasms due to multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, and spinal cord and muscle injuries. However,...

Peripherally and Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: A Comparison

Peripherally and Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: A Comparison

Skeletal muscle relaxants can target the central nervous system [CNS] to reduce muscle tension or act directly at the neuromuscular junction to induce temporary paralysis. These two classes of muscle relaxants are called centrally acting muscle relaxants and peripherally acting muscle relaxants. They differ in their action, mechanism, administration route, and clinical uses.
Centrally acting muscle relaxants can be further divided into spasmolytic and antispasmodic drugs. Spasmolytic drugs,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

The Use of Thermal Infra-Red Imaging to Detect Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

The Use of Thermal Infra-Red Imaging to Detect Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Published on: January 22, 2012

Muscle pain prophylaxis.

¹Department of Exercise Science, The University of Georgia, 115 M Ramsey Center, 300 River Road, 30602, Athens, GA, USA. gdudley@coe.uga.edu

Inflammopharmacology

|July 20, 2007

Summary

Novel physical activity can cause muscle fiber injury and soreness. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may help reduce this muscle damage and speed recovery in some individuals.

Area of Science:

Exercise physiology
Sports medicine
Muscle biology

Background:

Novel physical activity, like downhill skiing, often leads to skeletal muscle fiber injury.
This injury results from active muscle lengthening, causing inflammation, reduced force, and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
DOMS symptoms peak within days and typically resolve within a week.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of anti-inflammatory drugs (AIDs) in treating exercise-induced muscle injury and DOMS.
To evaluate the efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in mitigating muscle damage and soreness.
To assess NSAID effects on functional recovery and gait disturbances, particularly in vulnerable populations.

Main Methods:

Utilizing models that focus on skeletal muscle lengthening to study exercise-induced muscle injury.

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Targeted Muscle Reinnervation: Surgical Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial in Postamputation Pain

Targeted Muscle Reinnervation: Surgical Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial in Postamputation Pain

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Last Updated: Jul 13, 2026

The Use of Thermal Infra-Red Imaging to Detect Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

The Use of Thermal Infra-Red Imaging to Detect Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Published on: January 22, 2012

Targeted Muscle Reinnervation: Surgical Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial in Postamputation Pain

Targeted Muscle Reinnervation: Surgical Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial in Postamputation Pain

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Examining the impact of NSAIDs on muscle injury, perceived soreness, and strength recovery.

Observing NSAID effects on gait disturbances in older individuals after novel lengthening muscle actions.

Main Results:

Some studies suggest NSAIDs can reduce muscle injury and soreness while accelerating strength recovery.
NSAIDs appear to lessen gait disturbances in older adults following novel, lengthening muscle actions.
The efficacy of NSAIDs varies, with not all studies showing a significant benefit.

Conclusions:

NSAIDs show potential in managing exercise-induced muscle injury and associated soreness.
Further research is needed to confirm NSAID benefits, especially for functional capacity in older or inactive individuals.
Older and inactive individuals may be particularly susceptible to contraction-induced muscle fiber injury.