Antibody screening is routinely used in conjunction with typing and crossmatch before the administration of blood products, especially RBCs, to avoid transfusion reactions and to prevent notably decreased survival of transfused RBCs.
Muscle relaxants: Spinal muscle spasms often accompany herniated disc. In such cases, a muscle relaxant may provide relief. Oral steroids: Oral steroids (also called corticosteroids) may be effective at reducing swelling. These medications are prescribed for short-term use.
How Well It Works. Muscle relaxant medicines are usually helpful for reducing the pain of muscle spasms. Muscle relaxants may help to relax muscle spasms caused by a herniated disc, but muscle relaxants will not affect the herniated disc itself.