fourleg.com

Hi,
I`m new here, but I`m so excited to have more colleagues to discuss patients with

My first question is about methocarbamol:
I have recently gotten several patients with the suspicion of an iliopsoas strain, and the vet wanted them to use this a couple of days before they came to rehab. I had never heard of this medication before, but I`ve only had my rehab-education for 1,5 year, so I`m pretty fresh.

Can somebody enlighten me about methocarbamol?

And I`m sorry about my english. I`m norwegian, so I`ll probably mess up a couple of words

Ann-Kristin in Norway

Hey Ann-Kristin,

Welcome!!!

So Methocarbamol is a muscle relaxant. In Canada we can purchase it over the counter as Robaxin.

So, to be honest, I'm not a huge fan. Clinically, back when I treated humans, I NEVER has a client say that they thought it did anything (mostly being prescribed for back pain... but that is too big of a topic area anyways!)

I'm not sure it will make a difference in these muscle strain cases... but I don't think it will hurt either!

Might as well let this be a test case for you to decide for yourself if it seems to make a difference.

Thanks for asking questions!

Cheers,

Laurie

I do prescribe methocarbimol for back pain in dogs and often see success when I do, but am also frequently combining it with other medications. I have a few geriatrics that the owners feel that methocarb is the only thing that keeps them pain free and mobile.

Having said that, I don't routinely Rx it for primary psoas issues, but instead reach for manual therapy, acupuncture, laser etc. as first line modality. Some cases come in so painful with generalized lower back muscle spasm, including psoas, that I am unable to do much besides grade I mobs, along with my laser and acu. Those cases, I will put on a pharmaceutic cocktail and have them come back in 48h to see if we can't do more.