Patients with acute, painful musculoskeletal spasms of the lower back appear to get better and faster relief from the muscle relaxant carisoprodol than from placebo.

    In a clinical trial involving more than 800 patients, 264 patients were randomly assigned to receive carisoprodol 250 mg, 273 patients were assigned to carisoprodol 350 mg, and 269 patients were assigned to the placebo arm.

    researchers said the 250-mg dose of carisoprodol taken 4 times daily was superior to placebo and similar to the 350-mg tablets of carisoprodol. However, the larger dose of carisoprodol increased adverse events more than either of the comparator preparations.

Source: American Academy of Pain Medicine – 24^th Annual Meeting