What is the purpose of iontophoresis?
Iontophoresis is a modality used by physical therapists to treat a wide variety of conditions, including bursitis, tendonitis/ tendinopathy, and to help manage scar tissue. It uses electrical stimulation to help administer medication into your body through the skin.
What is iontophoresis and how does it work?
Iontophoresis works by using electricity to deliver medication through your skin and into your injured tissues. It is often used to decrease sweating, especially in the hands and feet, but it can also be used in physical therapy to decrease inflammation and scar tissue, and to reduce pain.
What are the two types of iontophoresis?
On the basis of the delivery site, the iontophoresis may be of two types, that is, transcorneal and transscleral iontophoresis.
How does iontophoresis work for pain?
How does it work? Iontophoresis delivers medication based on the principle that like charges repel each other – like magnets pushing away from each other. This means that when a negatively charged medication, like dexamethasone, is applied to the negative drug pad, the medication will be forced away from the pad.
What is iontophoresis in dentistry?
Iontophoresis is a noninvasive method to enhance systemic and local drug delivery by the application of an electric field. For systemic drug delivery in the oral cavity, iontophoresis was studied primarily for transbuccal delivery.
Who would benefit from iontophoresis?
Iontophoresis is generally effective in treating hyperhidrosis. People often undergo 20- to 40-minute treatment sessions several times per week until sweating decreases to a desirable level. At that point, treatments are scheduled less frequently, usually about once per week.
How is iontophoresis treated?
Cover any sore spots with petroleum jelly before you start treatment. Remember that petroleum jelly blocks the iontophoresis, so don’t use more than you need. If treatments dry out your skin, use a moisturizer afterward. Use 1\% hydrocortisone cream to treat any irritation or redness after your treatment.
What are the principles of iontophoresis?
Iontophoresis is based on the principle enunciated by Du Fay ( 15. Curso de Física. São Paulo: Scipione; 2000.), in which charges with the same signal repel and charges with opposite signals attract, facilitating the penetration of ions through the skin ( 33.
What is iontophoresis for plantar fasciitis?
In rehabilitation medicine, including physical therapy, iontophoresis is used to reduce inflammation that might be seen in musculoskeletal conditions such as lateral epicondylitis, medial epicondylitis, plantar fasciitis, tendo-nitis/bursitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and enthesopathic conditions of various origins.
What is iontophoresis route?
Iontophoresis implies the use of a small amount of physiologically acceptable electric current (0.5 mA/cm2 or less) to drive ionic (charged) drugs into the body by using an electrode of the same polarity as the charge on the drug. The drug is driven into the skin by electrostatic repulsion.
Which of the following affects iontophoresis?
The iontophoretic efficiency has been affected by several factors, including ion and molecule permeability, environmental pH [243], current density (constant or alternating), shape of the electrodes, duration of treatment, drug properties, and concentration [246].
How do you treat iontophoresis?
The electrode with the medication is applied to the area of your body that is being treated. The electrode without the medication is applied to your body nearby. The electrical stimulation unit is then turned on, and the electricity pushes the medication into your injured body part while you relax.
How many iontophoresis treatments?
Iontophoresis. Successful treatment requires seven sessions over a four week period initially to get the hyperhidrosis controlled then requires top-up treatments as needed which varies from every week to every two weeks. It usually takes at least four sessions before there is any noticeable reduction in sweating.
How to administer iontophoresis?
How to Administer Iontophoresis Effectively. During the procedure patients usually sit with their hands and/or feet immersed in shallow trays of water for between 20 and 40 minutes. During this period of time the iontophoresis device sends a mild electrical current through the water.
How does iontophoresis work?
How Iontophoresis Work. So if you have a medicine in a solution that is negatively charged and you apply a negative electrical charge to it, the medicine in solution will be pushed away, or repelled, from the negative electricity. When using iontophoresis, your physical therapist is using electricity to push medicine into your injured tissues.
What is dexamethasone iontophoresis?
Dexamethasone is a common anti-inflammatory medication used during iontophoresis treatments in many physical therapy clinics. It is helpful in decreasing localized inflammation that occurs in musculoskeletal conditions such as tendonitis or bursitis .