Question

A physical therapist determines that a patient is ready to progress to plyometric exercise. The patient reports starting a new medication since the last visit. Which of the following medications would be the MOST likely reason for the therapist deciding to postpone this exercise progression?

1. Ciprofoxacin (Cipro)
2. Celecoxib (Celebrex)
3. Atenolol (Tenormin)
4. Loratadine (Claritin)

Answer 1

The physical therapist would most likely postpone plyometric exercises for a patient starting on ciprofloxacin (Cipro), due to the increased risk of tendonitis and tendon rupture associated with this medication.

Step-by-step explanation:

The medication among the options provided that would be the most likely reason for a physical therapist to postpone plyometric exercises is ciprofloxacin (Cipro). Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that has been associated with an increased risk of tendonitis and tendon rupture, particularly in the Achilles tendon. Since plyometric exercises involve rapid, forceful movements that could exacerbate stress on tendons, it would be prudent for a therapist to delay such activities if a patient is taking ciprofloxacin.

Celecoxib (Celebrex) is an anti-inflammatory, atenolol (Tenormin) is a beta-blocker used primarily for cardiovascular conditions, and loratadine (Claritin) is an antihistamine for allergies. None of these medications typically require alteration of exercise programs to the extent that ciprofloxacin does. Given that the patient has started a new medication – ciprofloxacin – which carries a risk of tendon injury, the therapist has made a clinically prudent decision to postpone plyometric training to minimize the risk of tendon damage.