Muscle relaxants are largely ineffective and increase the risk of adverse events despite being widely prescribed to treat low back pain in adults, Australian researchers warn.   

The drugs are the third most frequently prescribed medication for low back pain, according to the team from Neuroscience Research Australia and UNSW Sydney, but their systematic review and meta-analysis cast doubt on the benefit for patients.  

“We found that muscle relaxants might reduce pain in the short term, but on average, the effect is probably too small to be important,” said Professor James McAuley, a study co-author and director of NeuRA’s Centre for Pain IMPACT. 

“We were surprised by this finding, as earlier research suggested that muscle relaxants did reduce pain intensity.