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Muscle relaxants work by calming the nerve signals that cause your muscles to tighten and spasm. When you injure your back or neck, the muscles around the area become tense as a protective reaction. This tension can create sharp pain, stiffness, and limited movement. Muscle relaxants target the central nervous system—the brain and spinal cord—and slow down the messages that tell your muscles to contract.

By reducing this overactive nerve communication, the muscles loosen, blood flow improves, and the body can start healing naturally. These medications do not directly treat the injury, but they help manage the pain, so you can rest, stretch gently, and recover faster. Because they relax the whole body, some people may feel sleepy after taking them. Muscle relaxants are usually recommended for short-term use, especially for acute back or neck spasms caused by strain, stress, or sudden injury.