Medications Used to Treat Musculoskeletal Disorders

When it comes to treating patients with musculoskeletal disorders as a nurse we must understand the type of medication the action of the medication any major side effects or toxic effects and what nursing care we must handle prior to giving the medication and after administrating the medication. This simple guide covers 6 major medications with actions, side/toxic effects and nursing care. Remember this is only a short listing of the major drug classifications for Musculoskeletal disorders and there are many other types of medications that can be given.

Muscle Relaxants

Actions: By acting on the brain this medication helps relax the skeletal muscles

Major side effects or toxic effects: Dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, GI distress, and numbness to extremities.

Nursing Care: To help with GI distress give with milk or food, patient teaching is vital so patient does not take medication with alcohol and over the counter medications without discussing with the patients physician.

Steroids

Actions: Very portent anti-inflammatory medication that overrides the body's normal response to inflammatory.

Major side effects or toxic effects: decrease in healing time, GI distress, masking of infections, electrolyte imbalance, osteoporosis, if abruptly stopped can cause an adrenal crisis.

Nursing Care: It is very important to teach your patient that they must taper off steroid medications to avoid adrenal crash, take with milk or food for any GI distress, and take as ordered.

Salicylates

Actions: Anti-inflammatory, analgesic

Major side effects or toxic effects: GI irritations and GI bleeding

Nursing Care: watch for signs of bleeding, give with antacid, milk or foods for GI irritations

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs)

Actions: Anti-inflammatory, analgesic

Major side effects or toxic effects: dizziness, GI irritations, GI Bleeding and headache

Nursing Care: patient is important to teach your patient not to take aspirin or aspirin products, give with milk or food and watch for signs of GI bleeding.

Slow Acting Anti-inflammatory

1. Antimalarials - anti-inflammatory (action unknown) S/E - GI distress, retinal edema that can lead to blindness. Nursing Care: patient teaching on the importance of exam every 6 months.

2. Antineoplastics- interferes with folic acid metabolism. S/E - nausea and vomiting, headache and GI distress. Nursing Care: monitor white blood count and platelets, monitor I&O's and patients appetite.

3. Gold Salts- anti-inflammatory. S/E - rental and hepatic disturbances or damage. Nursing Care: monitor patient's complete blood count and UA.

Anti-Gout Medications

Colchicines, butazolidine, allopurinol, probenecid

Actions: anti-inflammatory, analgesic

Side effects or toxic effects: hematologic changes and GI irritations

Nursing Care: administer medication with food or milk and keep in mind that Anti-Gout medications are used only on a short term basis.

Sources:
Mosby (2005) Foundations and Adult Health Nursing (5th ed.) Missouri: Christensen & Kockrow.
Personal Knowledge