What to do for a Muscle Spasm

© Anne Asher 2006 licensed to About.com

Muscle spasms, often the result of injury, make for some very tense back muscles. Sometimes the contraction of the muscle is so strong, it halts any progress you might make in the treatment room. While there are many things you can do for muscle spasm, including stretching, massage, acupuncture and other alternative medicine treatments, sometimes temporary medications are what you need to get back on track and making progress in the healing process.

Skeletal muscle relaxers should be used judiciously, but when they are, they can help you get over the tension that stops you from working in your physical therapy. There are a few different kinds of skeletal muscle relaxers, each with variations on how they will affect you:

• Skelaxin
• Carisoprodol
• Cyclobenzeprine, or Flexeril