Iontophoresis: A Case Study

Iontophoresis is an ionizable drug through contact of the skin by the administration of a continuous electrical current into tissues of the body. A positive and a negative electrode are placed at different areas depending on where the pain is located for treatment. This study was performed on an older gentleman who for several years suffered from a posterior heel pain and came to the doctors for treatment with iontophoresis. www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data

This article involves acetic acid iontophoresis for treating insertional Achilles tendonitis. This pathology is a posterior heel pain, which includes many other pathologies as well. Achilles tendonitis can be diagnosed clinically and radiographically. This pathology is a chronic pain only

This pain stopped him from daily living activities such as driving, and also walking. A gait analysis was performed to find that he had an early heel rise on the left, and a short step length on the right. He had to have assistants from the rails to descend and ascend the stairs. Radiographs were performed and showed presence of retrocalcaneal exostoses. His gait improved slightly with modalities, like deep tissue massage, ultrasound and also some home exercises but the pain was still present. Roger lee kilfoil jr

Therapist treated the gentleman with iontophoresis of 4% acetic acid using phoresor PM900 at 2.0 mA DC current for 20 min of a period of 2 weeks. The positive electrode was on midshaft of fibula, and the negative electrode over the Achilles tendon insertion bilaterally. After two weeks, the patient’s pain scale improved and after the third treatment the patient no longer need the assistance of the rail for the stairs. The fifth iontophoresis treatment, he was discharged from physical therapy, and reached a goal of decreased posterior heel pain. Roger lee kilfoil