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Benefits of Iontophoresis

Iontophoresis is a technique that uses an electronic charge to inject medicine or another chemical through the skin. It injects the medicine or the alternate chemical into the skin without using a needle. It's a non-invasive procedure, and there are a lot of benefits for this type of injection as compared to other injections.

  1. Non-Invasive

    • The procedure is non-invasive. This means that the patient is more comfortable throughout it. The procedure is also painless and thus can be used as an alternate way of injecting if an individual is extremely afraid of needles. Although there were problems in the past with shock burns, these issues have been resolved. Since the invention of the advanced electrode design and the modulated current, the risk of shock burns is non-existent. In fact, studies show that exposure to mild electrical currents have positive and therapeutic effects. Along with being less painful and less invasive, the procedure is safer because it eliminates the potential danger of infection or damage that may be caused by the insertion of a needle.

    Reduced Danger of Infection

    • There is also no danger of infection due to a bolus of fluid. This is because there is a high local concentration of the drug, and the distribution of the drug throughout the body is minimal. Smaller levels of the injection actually enter into the systematic concentration of circulation. Thus, you feel reduced side effects of certain drugs, because they are not systemically concentrated. Further, the dosage can be easily monitored using the electrical current to inject the drug into one's blood. Through iontophoresis, an extremely accurate and localized injection can be given.

    Easier

    • Depending upon where the injection has to be given, iontophoresis also offers an easier way of giving the injection as compared to a needle injection. For example, in the distal tarsal joint tissue or in the tissue around the hoof of a horse, iontophoresis is an easier method of injection than using a needle. Thus, the medicine is still injected properly in the correct area, and it was a much easier procedure. For these areas of the body or areas of an animal, iontophoresis is a more efficient option.

    Treatment for Excessive Sweating

    • Ionthophoresis can also be used to treat excessive sweating by temporarily blocking sweat glands. According to Medline Plus, this procedure has been performed as an effective treatment to control unwanted perspiration since the 1950's. The procedure involves placing the area--most often the hands, feet and underarms--into water. A small electrical current is then passed into the water and gradually increased until you begin to feel a slight tingling on the skin. While doctors aren't certain exactly how this slows or stops sweating, most believe that it works by blocking the sweat glands.

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