“What is the best muscle relaxer for neck pain?”
I am a 32 year old male with neck pain for many months now. What is the best muscle relaxer for neck pain?
2 Answers
Muscle relaxers should be on a short term basis. The benzodiazepines such as Valium and Ativan work very well directly on the muscles. The non benzodiazepines are not as effective , such as robaxin , flexeril or skelaxin may cause mental fogginess if used chronically.
Muscle relaxants are exclusively used to reduce muscle spasms, but have little or no pain relieving properties of their own. The way they reduce pain is by reducing spasms. If it’s entirely muscular, massages and possibly use of a topical local anesthetic gel or cream (can get this over the counter, containing lidocaine) Hsu sally suffices. For persistent pain, should have an x-ray of the neck (Cervical spine) or an MRI to determine the source of the problem.
