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Muscle relaxants are a group of different drugs that each has an overall sedative effect on the body. These drugs do not act directly on the muscles, rather they act centrally (in the brain) and are more of a total body relaxant.
Typically, muscle relaxants are prescribed early in a course of back pain, on a short-term basis, to relieve low back pain associated with muscle spasms. There are several types of muscle relaxant medications that are commonly used to treat low back pain.
Diazepam (Valium) is usually limited to one to two weeks of use, and the typical dosage is 5-10mg every six hours as needed to relieve low back pain associated with muscle spasm. Because of its habit-forming potential, and because it changes sleep cycles and makes it very difficult to sleep after stopping the drug, Valium should not be used long term. Patients should also note that Valium is a depressant and can worsen depression associated with chronic pain.
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