Medications & Emergencies

Medications, including pain medications:

In the state of Illinois, physical therapists are not legally allowed to prescribe or recommend medications; this includes over the counter medications.

If you have questions regarding current medications, including pain medications, please contact your primary care physician or referring physician.

Post-operative pain medications:
If taking medications prescribed by your MD, please note the possible side effects of pain medications:

• Constipation: can increase symptoms of back, hip, and abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Drowsiness

If having any of the above symptoms, please contact your MD for solutions to decrease/minimize side effects.

Emergencies:
Contact your doctor if any of the following symptoms are present:

• Painful swelling or numbness
• Unrelenting pain
• Fever (over 101° - it is normal to have a low-grade fever for the first day or two following surgery) or chills
• Redness around incisions
• Color change in wrist or hand
• Continuous drainage or bleeding from incision (a small amount of drainage is expected)
• Difficulty breathing
• Excessive nausea/vomiting

If you have an emergency that requires immediate attention, proceed to the nearest emergency room.

 

For additional Frequently Asked Questions, please follow our main webpage for more information Movement Solutions FAQ webpage