Ann. Pak. Inst. Med. Sci. 2010; 6(1): 20-23

Objective: To evaluate efficacy and safety of Tizanidine in painful muscle spasm of various etiologies.
Place and Duration: It was done at Rawalpindi general hospital and Holy family hospital, Rawalpindi, 1995 to July 2007.
Materials and Methods: This interventional study was carried out from July 1995 to July 2007 in outpatient department of Rawalpindi general hospital and Holy family hospital, Rawalpindi. Inclusion criteria included all the patients suffering from painful muscle spasm in back, neck, shoulder, knee or other anatomical sites with onset not more than two days prior to presentation. The patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoporosis, infective arthritis, prolapsed disc, patients with history of NSAID or analgesics intake less than 6 hours prior to receiving the first dose of study medication, severe systemic disease, uncontrolled hypertension, pregnant women and lactating mothers were excluded from the study. After initial evaluation, patients took Tizanidine three times daily for 5 days with re-evaluation on day 3 and day 6.
Results: 5300 patients comprised of 60%(n=3180) males and 40%(n=2120) females with age range of 18-75 yrs. Complete resolution of symptoms was seen in 57%(n=3021) patients while no effect was seen in 10%(n=530) patients.14%(n=742) patients suffered from drowsiness,2%(n=106) patients suffered from dry mouth and 2%(n=106) patients suffered from GI symptoms and nausea.
Conclusion: This study confirms that oral tizanidine is a safe, fairly effective and reliable choice for relieving painful muscle spasm.
Keywords: Painful muscle spasm, tizanidine, effectiveness, tolerability, side effects.

Introduction

Of the numerous soft tissues that can be the locus of pain, muscle is the most frequently involved. Pain can originate primarily from the muscle tissue or secondarily from the contiguous tissue that has sustained injury. Spasm of the low back, neck and shoulder can cause significant discomfort and restriction of movement to the patient.¹
Muscle pain, spasm, swelling, and inflammation are symptomatic of strains. The precise relationship between musculoskeletal pain and spasm is not well understood. The dictum that pain induces spasm, which causes more pain, is not substantiated by critical analysis.² Most cases of simple cramps require no treatment other than rest. More prolonged or regular cramps may be treated with drugs. The goal of therapy is to increase functional capacity and relieve discomfort.³