Dr. Rowan Molnar ? The Role of Anaesthesia in Muscle Pain

Posted by Admin on April 14th, 2014

Post surgery, discomfort is not restricted to the area of the incision. Nausea, vomiting, and muscle pain is also common. Discomfort in the neck, shoulders, chest, and back can result from prolonged periods on the operating table. Particular drugs used during anaesthesia can also cause postoperative muscle pain, known as myalgia. Although common, the condition can be quite distressing. Dr. Rowan Molnar has conducted extensive research in anaesthesia and its impact on postoperative muscle pain. Myalgia usually occurs on the day after surgery and is generally located in the neck, shoulder and upper abdominal muscles. When muscle relaxants such as Suxamethonium are used during anaesthesia, some patients may experience generalised muscle aches and pain for a few days. Suxamethonium is particularly used when the anaesthetist is required to insert a breathing tube in a patient’s throat quickly.

Suxamethonium related muscle pain

Dr. Rowan Molnar has extensive clinical experience in anaesthesia at a tertiary referral hospital level, both in Australia and internationally and continues to research in postoperative myalgia. The exact way in which suxamethonium causes muscle pain is still under study. Most experts believe it is due to uncoordinated contraction of the muscles occurring a few seconds before muscle relaxation. Suxamethonium continues to be a popular choice of medication since it is a reliable and fast-acting muscle relaxant that helps the anaesthetist insert the breathing tube quickly. The incidence of suxamethonium related muscle pain is most common in young female patients, especially those who are discharged the same day as the surgery.

A variety of muscle relaxants

Postoperative myalgia doesn’t last for a long time. Standard pain medicines are usually prescribed in such cases. If you have any concerns about muscle pain make sure to discuss your concerns with your anaesthetist, who will evaluate your condition thoroughly and prescribe a safe anaesthetic with the minimum side effects. Apart from suxamethonium, there are other muscle relaxant drugs also used. In some cases, Dr. Rowan Molnar advises the use of small doses of another muscle relaxant prior to using suxamethonium or a local anaesthetic medication like lignocaine. The dosage prescribed by the anaesthetist depends on several factors such as your age, weight, and type of operation.

This article content is written by a professional author who describes the detail of Dr. Rowan Molnar.