Sports Medicine : Iontophoresis & Phonophoresis

Iontophoresis facilitates delivery of medications into the tissues beneath the skin by electronic transport of ionized drugs in solution. Acetic acid iontophoresis is effective in the treatment of heel pain. Iontophoresis of dexamethasone for plantar fasciitis should be considered when more immediate results are needed. Iontophoresis has also been used to successfully treat plantar hyperhidrosis.

Phonophoresis is a technique that combines topical drug therapy with ultrasound to achieve therapeutic drug concentrations in muscle and other tissues beneath the skin. Ultrasound gels can be formulated to contain medications such as anti-inflammatories and/or anesthetics.

J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 1999 May;89(5):251-7 Management of heel pain syndrome with acetic acid iontophoresis.

Japour CJ, Vohra R, Vohra PK, Garfunkel L, Chin N. Department of Surgery, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11209, USA.

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Am J Sports Med 1997 May-Jun;25(3):312-6 Treatment of plantar fasciitis by iontophoresis of 0.4% dexamethasone. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Gudeman SD, Eisele SA, Heidt RS Jr, Colosimo AJ, Stroupe AL. Specialty Centers for Orthopaedic & Rehabilitative Excellence, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

Click here to access the PubMed abstract of this article.