Without going through medication, it is possible to use natural relaxants.. It is found in the form of essential oils, such as rosemary or lavender for example. Homeopathy is regularly used to loosen muscles.
Muscle relaxants have adverse effects, including allergic reactions. Products with a muscle relaxant effect such as alcohol tend to cause snoring.
Muscle relaxant: definition and operation
To understand what a muscle relaxant is, it is useful to understand its use. As we stated above, the muscle relaxant is used in patients with muscle contractures but not only. Indeed, it will also be indicated in the presence of torticollis and lumbar or back pain and finally, during surgical operations.
Why use muscle relaxants during surgery? A number of muscle relaxants work very fast. This is the case of suxamethonium which will act in less than thirty seconds for five minutes. It is used to facilitate tracheal intubations or endoscopies.
Alcohol has a muscle relaxant effect. The space at the bottom of the throat is quite small. The air has little room to pass between the tongue and the soft palate. Alcohol has a vasodilating effect, the muscles relax. The already restricted space is further reduced and causes snoring.
Muscle relaxant: the different types of muscle relaxants
Muscle relaxants can be in drug form but also in natural form through certain plants.
Medicated muscle relaxants are diverse. Botulinum toxin is used in the context of cosmetic surgery. a> Regular contraction of facial muscles causes wrinkles. The use of a muscle relaxant allows here to fade wrinkles. Curares allow "to put the muscles to sleep" in order to facilitate surgical procedures. Finally, some muscle relaxants are used in the context of muscle pain (back, lumbar, etc.)
Without using medication, it is also possible to find a muscle relaxant effect through plants. One of the most effective herbs as a muscle relaxant is lavender. The essential oil will be applied to the area to be relieved, then massaged.
Rosemary is also a natural muscle relaxer. How to use it? Simply in the form of an infusion. It is advisable to do boil some water and then add a few rosemary leaves. Chamomile will also loosen the muscles. And for good reason, it contains over 36 flavonoids that exhibit anti-inflammatory properties.
Finally, it is worth mentioning here homeopathy which is also used to loosen the muscles. It is possible to take three capsules per hour of Bryonia 5CH in the face of severe pain, then to space out the doses when the pain subsides. Arnica montana will be recommended in the face of muscle pain such as aches.
Muscle relaxant: Effectiveness, side effects and contraindication
The effectiveness of myorelexants in the context of muscle pain no longer needs to be proven. To cite an example, faced with low back pain, an American study has proven that 35% of patients were prescribed muscle relaxants as treatment. Rest will always be recommended in the presence of muscle pain. Taking muscle relaxants must be associated with rest, but be careful not to stay in bed for more than three days. Complete immobilization is harmful.
What are the side effects of muscle relaxants? There are a number of side effects of muscle relaxant drugs. The diarrhea, drowsiness or abdominal pain are some examples.
There is a special case where the prescription of muscle relaxants will be more than controlled. These are situations where the patient is epileptic. The use of muscle relaxants tends to increase the risk of seizures. Also, the practitioner will often prefer other treatments.
Last side effect, it is possible to experience an allergic reaction after using a muscle relaxant drug. This allergic reaction is called anaphylactic shock.
When it comes to contraindications, there are only a few to take seriously and respect. The first is that this medication, like many others, is contraindicated in pregnancy. It is also important to highlight that the contraindication extends of course until the end of breastfeeding.
Finally, it will be recommended to carefully read the instructions of the drug and to ensure that the patient has no allergy to any of the components of the drug .
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