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Muscle Relaxants, Central

Definition: A heterogeneous group of drugs used to produce muscle relaxation, excepting the neuromuscular blocking agents. They have their primary clinical and therapeutic uses in the treatment of muscle spasm and immobility associated with strains, sprains, and injuries of the back and, to a lesser degree, injuries to the neck. They have been used also for the treatment of a variety of clinical conditions that have in common only the presence of skeletal muscle hyperactivity, for example, the muscle spasms that can occur in multiple sclerosis. (From Smith and Reynard, Texbook of Pharmacology, 1991, p358)
Notes: GEN or unspecified; prefer specifics; refers to skeletal muscle relaxants only: smooth muscle relaxants = PARASYMPATHOLYTICS
Previously Indexed: Muscles (1966-1969)

Muscle Relaxants, Central Definitions and Terms

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