Iontophoresis:

Iontophoresis uses an electrical current to administer various medications to treat a variety of conditions. This process has less risk than injections and can be performed in a timely manner by a qualified healthcare practitioner.

How Iontophoresis Works:

In general, ionic charges that are alike will repel one another, while ions that are oppositely charged will be attracted to one another.

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 the solution will be repelled (pushed away) from the negative electricity. When using iontophoresis, your physical therapist is using electricity to push medicine into your injured tissues.

The medication used in iontophoresis is ionically charged. So if your physical therapist introduces negatively charged medication into your injured tissues via iontophoresis, they will use a negative current to drive that medication into your body.

Common Uses:

These include, but are not limited to:

• Decrease inflammation

• Decrease pain

• Decrease muscle spasm

• Decrease swelling and edema

• Reduce calcium deposits in the body

• Manage scar tissue

Medications Available and Indications:

• Dexamethasone (Corticosteroid) used to treat inflammation such as bursitis, tendonitis.

• Potassium Iodide (Electrolyte) used to treat scar tissue.

• Acetic Acid (Solubilizer) used to treat calcification (heel spurs, calcific tendonitis).

• Lidocaine (Anesthetic) used for Analgesia (pain relief).