There are a number of different muscle relaxants out there, although the term “muscle relaxant" is something of a misnomer. Actually, muscle relaxants are not classified as their own category of drugs, which makes it hard to determine exactly how many muscle relaxants there are. Muscle relaxants are generally any type of drug that provides an overall sedative for your body. They don’t actually directly affect the muscles. Instead, the affect is one the brain and cause your entire body to relax.

When a doctor prescribes a muscle relaxant, he or she is generally prescribing it for back pain, especially lower back pain that is caused by muscle spasms. Muscle relaxants are also usually only prescribed for short-term use and not as a permanent “cure" for back pain or any other type of pain.

Here are three common muscle relaxants that doctors often prescribe for patients suffering from back pain and other muscle pains:

Soma (Carisoprodol) is a short-term muscle relaxant that is often prescribed in 350mg doses every eight hours or so. While Soma is prescribed fairly regularly as a muscle relaxant, it can be very addictive, especially if it is taken while drinking or while under the influence of other mind-altering drugs.

Valium (Diazepam) is a widely known drug that is usually prescribed only for a period of a few weeks, if that long. Valium is usually taken every six hours, and the dosage is almost never more than ten milligrams. It helps relieve lower back pain caused by muscle spasms, but it may also be prescribed for any type of pain. There are several dangers when taking Valium. It is very habit-forming if taking long term and it greatly disrupts a person’s natural sleep cycle. In fact, some patients find it hard to get back to sleeping regularly after taking Valium. Valium is also a depressant, and it can caused increased symptoms of depression in those who are already diagnosed with being depressed.

Flexeril (Cyclobenzaprine) is, unlike Soma and Valium, prescribed for longer periods of time. Unlike Valium, Flexeril is designed to act somewhat like an antidepressant, although it is not technically one. Generally, doctors will prescribe ten milligrams to be taken every six hours for back pain caused by muscle spasms. The same dosage may also be prescribed as a sleep aid. Flexeril can, however, impair physical and mental functions, so those taking the medication should not operate heavy machinery and may even need to refrain from driving.