Soma vs Celebrex

Pain can affect your life in more ways than one. Not only would you be unable to physically do anything with ease, it also makes it more difficult to concentrate fully on any work. Sometimes pain goes away without requiring any treatment, but the more serious kinds need effective pain management. If you are someone who experiences pain often due to injuries or have any health conditions that symptomatic of pain, then painkillers are your best ally.

Soma and Celebrex are among the top drugs currently used to manage different kinds of pain. If you are undecided on which drug to take then it is easier to make the choice by comparing Soma and Celebrex to see which one offers better pain relief.

Soma

Soma is the brand name of the drug Carisoprodol. What Soma essentially does is to relax the muscles that may be taut, stiff, or sore. The drug helps to bring down the pain sensations in the muscles communicated between the nerves and brain. It is not given as a standalone treatment but together with adequate rest and physical therapy for complete recovery. Soma is centrally acting in nature, and hence its effects can be felt throughout the body to get relief and not just in the local area of pain.

Celebrex

Celebrex, which is the brand formulation of Celecoxib, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug or NSAID. The drug works by bringing down the level of the hormones that cause inflammation and pain. This property of the drug makes it immensely useful in treating conditions like juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, acute pain, painful menstruation, musculoskeletal pain, and ankylosing spondylitis to name a few. As an NSAID, Celebrex is the preferred drug over others of its class due to its efficacy and range of treatable conditions.

Choosing between Soma and Celebrex – what works better?

Soma and Celebrex can both be seen to be very effective in managing different forms of pain. Either drug may be taken for effective pain relief. Since both the drugs have very high efficacy ratios, choosing between the two really amounts to how good the drug is in treating the specific health problem. Soma works well but it does not actually do anything to overcome the problem, and just lowers the level of pain so that the user can go about with regular duties without any strain. Celebrex on the other hand, actually reduces the inflammation that causes the pain. By reducing the condition causing the pain, Celebrex is useful in managing very specific health problems unlike Soma. The conditions that are treatable with Celebrex cannot be easily managed with Soma as the latter does not work as effectively for arthritis.

Overall, the choice depends on the type of pain experienced and the condition being treated. The drugs’ costs are similar so there’s not really much to think about there. Celebrex can be discontinued easily, whereas Soma requires tapering to avoid withdrawal side effects. Use either drug which may be the best fit for your condition under medical supervision.