Iontophoresis Treatment
Iontophoresis is an effective and non-invasive treatment that utilizes a small electric current as well as tap water to help reduce excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis. Iontophoresis is a modality for drug delivery in certain conditions. This type of therapy may be administered by a physical therapist and it is a fast way of achieving rapid resolution of inflammation.
Inflammatory conditions such as tendonitis, bursitis and sprains are many a time treated using iontophoresis. Various steroids such as dexamethasone are often administered using this treatment. This procedure is relatively safe and painless and it is performed by a certified physical therapist.
Iontophoresis is as well used to deliver certain drugs through the skin. Examples of this are such as using iontophoresis to deliver drugs such as sodium glycopyrrolate (an ‘anti-sweating’ drug) through the skin. Essentially, this treatment is similar to the tap water iontophoresis, save for that your hands are placed in sodium glycopyrrolate solution instead. This treatment is usually more effective than use of tap water iontophoresis as it has a longer lasting effect according to the producer of hyperhidrosis products Allergen (AGN) .
Tap water iontophoresis usually involves putting the affected area such as the hands, into trays of water, that has a small direct current passing through it. The precise mechanism of how it works is not known, but patients do experience a gradual reduction in sweating after a few sessions.
Moreover, iontophoresis can be used to drive skin care ingredients such as Vitamins A and C into the skin in order to help rejuvenate the skin. The technique used here is different from the one above as an electrode is passed over the skin on the face after the application of the products topically. This then allows a current to flow through the skin and drive the products into the skin and also increase the absorption rate by many fold.
Iontophoresis can be used for the treatment of excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis of the hands, feet, and armpits. Larger areas such as the back cannot be treated for practical reasons. It is an effective method of treatment for those suffering from palmar, plantar and axillary hyperhidrosis. Those who are expectant, have cardiac pacemakers, metal orthopedic implants, epilepsy or arrhythmias cannot be treated. This treatment is entirely safe as even children can be treated with iontophoresis; however, some might not just be able to tolerate the same current levels as adults can.
For sweating, the affected area should be treated for three times a week for three weeks followed by twice per week for two weeks and finally once per week for a month. On the other hand, for iontophoresis using sodium glycolpyrrolate, the treatment frequency starts once weekly and the interval gradually increases as the effect takes place. If excessive sweating recurs, then you might just require more frequent treatments until the sweating subsides.
If you have a sweating problem, you had better consider trying this iontophoresis treatment and everything might just change for the better. it has been proven to be scientifically effective and thus it may as well work for you.
