muscle relaxant
any of various drugs used in the management of spasms of skeletal muscle generally resulting from mechanical injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, or multiple sclerosis. Most act on the central nervous system or its associated structures to reduce muscle tone and spontaneous activity. Although the precise mode of action varies with the drug, muscle relaxants generally act by depressing spinal reflexes without loss of consciousness. Common muscle relaxants include benzodiazepines, baclofen, dantrolene, and botulinum toxin. Others used for localized muscle spasms include carisoprodol, cyclobenzaprine, methocarbamol, and orphenadrine.