Iontophoresis and body resistance

What to do when the iontophoresis device no longer offers enough current

First of all: Do you feel a pleasant tingling sensation in the entire treatment area during the iontophoresis session? If so, then everything seems to be working well for you. You probably do not have any problems with your body resistance, since there is no potential to optimize the body resistance. Common difficulties regarding an excessive body resistance are the following: Even though your iontophoresis therapy seems well-adjusted, you have to increase the current time and again until you reach the maximum output - or until the device self-regulates by refusing to supply the desired current value. Many users resort to baking soda or water additives to counter this effect. While this is an easy step, it usually misses the core of the problem. One thing to keep in mind is that few iontophoresis devices are capable of providing any meaningful information about your personal body resistance. Explanation: DEFINITION: When we talk about body resistance, we refer to the imaginary body of the entire iontophoresis system. The human body forms an RC-link resistance in this system, which acts as a variable dampener to the current strength and pulse width. The human body resistance is therefore difficult to define and calculate. However, we can calculate the total resistance of the iontophoresis system. We need the following components for our calculation:

  • The human body
  • Cables
  • Electrodes
  • Distance and nature of the grids
  • Type of electrode cover (i.e. grid, towel, foam insert, etc.)
  • Treatment water

Users who own a Hidrex connectION are lucky. With this iontophoresis device, it is simple to calculate the body resistance of the total iontophoresis system. Simply take the value in volt and divide it by the mA value.

Below, you will find helpful information regarding the body resistance - basic rules of iontophoresis

  • Hands, feet, and armpits can all have a different body resistance
  • The body resistance is not a constant value, but it can change daily
  • The body's resistance changes gradually and can gradually increase or decrease significantly over time
  • Even during the treatment, the body resistance may change. During summer or in countries with high temperatures, this effect is more commonly observed. Under these circumstances, we all tend to sweat more, which makes us prone to dehydration. This in turn leads to a higher body resistance.
  • Treating after a meal can lead to an increased body resistance. The body stores a lot of fluid (blood, water) in the stomach to help the digestion. As a result, the rest of the body has less fluid available and the body resistance increases
  • Of course, you can increase the body's resistance in the body itself through a lack of water, and you can increase your body's resistance through dry skin or a thick fatty cream

Our recommendations on reducing the body resistance:

Have you had enough water? Dehydration increases the body resistance.

Have you been drinking the right liquids? Some juices (especially citrus and apple juices) increase the body resistance.

When the resistance of the skin exceeds a certain limit, the iontophoresis device switches on the current limit and does not supply any higher currents.

You cannot always observe this effect. If the device displays the full mA value, it might be possible that the supplied volt value is very low. The same applies to high volt values with small corresponding mA values.

  • If you treat immediately after eating (especially if it's high in fat), the body's resistance increases immensely

 

  • In general, please drink enough during the day
  • Drink half a litre of water or tea (not coffee!) about 30-60 minutes before the therapy start
  • Wash your hands or feet with a small drop of liquid, fat-dissolving soap
  • Remove all excess callus from the soles of your feet (as thick skin is a common factor leading to increased body resistance)
  • use warm water

⇒ It is very important to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water and/or tea. Besides being good for your overall health, hydration is absolutely necessary for the treatment. Please do not underestimate this factor. You might think that you are drinking enough liquid, but when the device stops at 1 mA, it tells you that you are mistaken. Please always drink sufficiently so that you can have success with iontophoresis.

Lastly, a few more tips to increase the conductivity of the water:

  • If you have a water filter in your house, please switch to mineral water. Filtered water carries few minerals, which are crucial for a good conductivity. The mineral water does not have to be an expensive brand. Many bottled water types will have a higher mineral content than filtered tap water.
  • Try warm water, since the resistance of the skin decreases due to the opening of the pores.

More to consider:

If nothing else helps, increase the water conductivity with sodium bicarbonate / baking soda / natron / magnesium citrate/magnesium chloride.

Please do not use table salt.

Above all, soak the electrodes and electrode sponges well.

A teaspoon per litre should suffice.

Make sure that the baking soda dissolves well in the water. It dissolves faster in warm water.

You can create a concentrated brine by putting a large amount of soda in a bottle and filling the rest with the bottle with water. For a quick dilution, this mixture can be added into the tubs.

Skin care: Do you use lotion up to 2 hours before therapy start?

This increases the body resistance excessively. Please use lotions only after the treatment. The electrodes can become greasy very quickly if your skin is too oily.

Are the electrode plates free of patina? If not, please clean them.

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