Can a muscle relaxant cut opioid use after spine surgery?
NCT ID NCT06659965
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This completed trial looked at whether giving intravenous methocarbamol (Robaxin) right after spine surgery can lower pain and reduce the need for opioid painkillers. Over 1,200 adults having elective spine surgery took part. Researchers tracked pain scores and opioid use for six hours after the drug was given.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Methocarbamol (Robaxin)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a way to manage pain after spine surgery with fewer opioids.
- What could go wrong
- This is a completed trial, but results are not yet published. The effect may be small or not apply to all spine surgeries.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
-
1,270 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jan 2020
- Finished
-
Jun 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
The study population consists of adult patients undergoing elective spine surgeries at multiple hospitals within a large health system in Houston, TX. This includes individuals receiving surgical interventions for conditions such as degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, or other spinal pathologies that require procedures like ACDF, posterior spinal fusion, or laminectomy. Participants will be selected from those who receive perioperative care across various hospital settings within the health system, including postoperative management in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU).
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 18 years of age or older * Undergoing one of the following three elective spine surgeries: (i) Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF), (ii) Posterior Spinal Fusion, or (iii) Laminectomy, Laminotomy, or Discectomy * At least 8h of valid pain scores recorded postoperatively Exclusion Criteria: * Emergency Surgery * Pregnancy * Sensitivity to methocarbamol (allergy) * End-stage renal disease (ESRD) * Myasthenia gravis * Missing a valid electronic anesthesia record
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Memorial Hermann Health System
Houston, Texas, 77007-1708, United States
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