You’re in pain and you have been advised to get a cortisone injection to help… but you fear needles… Is an injection your only option? Of course not! Are there any other options? It is called Iontophoresis, also known as ‘ionto’. Typically, ionto has been used to treat excessive sweating on palms of the hands and soles of the feet, but did you know ionto can deliver the same cortisone injection medicine to the painful area without the needle?
Ionto is a non-invasive and less traumatic way to deliver the medicine. But, how does it work? It uses a prescription medicine called dexamethasone sodium phosphate, which comes in small bottles/capsules. The medicine or contents of these capsules is spread over the ionto specific patch which is then applied directly over the targeted area. The patch is attached to the ionto machine and small electrical currents are delivered to encourage the medicine to infuse into the area. The treatment will usually consist of five visits to your health care practitioner over the course of four weeks – two in week one and one per week thereafter.
So, if you don’t like needles but have been advised to get corticosteroid type medicine like a cortisone injection, iontophoresis could be the treatment experience for you! As always, discuss this option with your doctor, sports physician or your favourite Physiotherapist and we will implement the right treatment plan for YOU!