Iontophoresis

Iontophoresis is the intro of medication ions into the human skin using a low voltage direct current

• Uses a Monopolar
• Active electrode is placed over the target tissues
• Dispersive placed 4-6 inches away
• Dispersive should be at least 4 times the size of the active electrode

• Current carries ions between the two poles
• Primary entry in hair follicles and skin pores.

• The applied current must eb sufficient to overcome the skin/electrode resistance
• Must still have enought energy to drive the miedication through the skin's portals
• There is a decreased resistance to electrical current flow as treatment progresses

• The number of ions transferred through the skin is directly related to:
• Duration of the Treatment
• Current Density
• Concentration of the ions in the solution

• Once in the tissue the medication is spread through passive diffusion
• No longer affected by the vurrent source
• Medication remains more highly concentrated in tissue directly under the active electrode

• Meausre in Milliamperes per minute (mA/min)
• Based on the relationship between the intensity and treatment duration
• DOSE ORIENTED TREATMENT

• Anti-inflammatory: Dex-neg, Hydrocortisone-pos
• Analgesia: Lidocaine, Xylocaine-pos, Salicylate-Neg
• Edema Reduction: Hyaluronidase-pos
• Muscle Spasm: Calcium, Magnesium-pos
• Can mix different medication as long as they are the same charge

• Medication pentrates 6-20mm
• Local blood flow increases for 1hr after Rx.
• May have small bumps under electrodes post Rx
• With anti-inflammatory or anesthetic may take 24-48hrs post Rx for affects.

• Allergic reaction to the direct current.
• Will see a rash around electorde normally after 5min of Rx

• Expressed in mA-minutes
• 20-40mins

• Acute or chronic Inflammtion
• Arthritis
• Myositis ossificans
• Myofascial pain syndromes
• local Anesthetic before injection
• Hyperkidrosis

• Cardiac Arrhytima
• Over the Cartiod sinus area
• Hypersensitivity -strong adverion to electricity
• Certain types of catheters and shunts
• Known problemw with medicaiton used in treatment

• Most medication require a physician precriptions- pay close attention to any motes or instructions provided by the pharmacist
• The exact dosage of the medication delivered to the body is unknown
• Erthema under the electrodes is common after Rx
• DO not reuse electrodes becuase medication can remain in it
• To high of an intensity can cause burns
• Poor treatment techniques on the part of the therapist is most often respoinsilble for adverse reactions to ionto

• Bypass the liver
• Medication can be concentrated in a local area rather than be asorbed in the GI tract
• Less trumatic than injections

• Unreliable results are obtained with certain medications
• In children the anxiety cuase by ionto was not significantly less than that of an injection
• cutaneous anesthesia derived from an injection is more toerable that than obtained through ionto
• Burns or severe skin irritation are problems inherent to the application of DC on the human body