Patient/caregiver was educated on therapeutic uses of metaxalone as follows:
Metaxalone is used for relieving the muscle pain and spasms caused by various musculoskeletal disorders.
Fibromyalgia
- Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition secondary to the brain misinterpreting the normal pain signals from the body.
- Fibromyalgia is characterized by episodes of intense pain in the muscles, sleep disturbances due to pain, and consequent fatigue, headache, and anxiety.
- Metaxalone, by depressing the brain and spinal cord, leads to sedation and dizziness, which contributes to relief from pain and discomfort. This also helps with promoting sleep, reduce fatigue, and control anxiety.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Motor nerves originate in the brain and travelling through the spinal cord, reach the various muscles throughout the body, thus conducting the impulse to the muscles.
- ALS is a condition in which there is progressive degeneration of the motor nerves controlling the activity of the various muscles.
- Progressive degeneration of the motor nerves contributes to altered and compromised impulse conduction.
- Depending on the site of injury and the nerves involves, this change in nerve impulse conduction can result in spasticity or severe tightening of muscles, flaccid weak muscles, and muscle spasms contributing to the pain & discomfort. This can severely compromise the muscle function.
- Metaxalone by controlling the spasms, helps with easing the pain and discomfort and contribute to improved function.
Other muscle pains
- Metaxalone can also be used for relief of muscle spasms and pain secondary to various other injury and inflammatory conditions.
