Combination Treatment Pain Relief Using Cold, Aspercreme, Menthol with Interferential

Question from Patient:

IF and IFC stands for Interferential -

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I hadn’t even considered using IFC in a bucket of water.  Thanks for the suggestion.  I’ll have to try it.  Would it also follow that an ice pack over the region (like on my low back) would enhance the therapeutic effect if used during the IF session?   That would be very easy to implement on any location, though not quite as cold as a bucket of ice water.   I don’t do well with heat, even though I like the way it feels.  It worsens my fatigue, so I’ll skip that one, even though it sounds really nice.

Speaking  of using the unit with the battery pack, I have noticed that it has a significant power drop when on battery supply.  (I know you mentioned to me earlier that this was the case).  At what level could I expect it to perform at full power (and not simply assume that my batteries were going bad)?  For example on a 4 pole IFC setup with four 3” electrodes in the low back region, I’ve raised the intensity to 99 for 30 minutes at a time.   A few times, I wanted to move locations and plug in elsewhere.  When I went on battery power, I noticed a significant drop in the stimulation.   Or sometimes I just wanted to finish a couple of chores before sitting down to finish my IF treatment.  What is a reasonable expectation on battery?

What about other pain reliever creams, such as Aspercreme, that contain salicilates, but not menthol.   Can I somehow pair those with the IF to get improved relief?  (I have found that my skin burns like fire with menthol….more than it should.)

Thank you for the time you take to thoroughly educate and assist your clients.  I am amazed and impressed.  In fact, that is something that I have already shared with a number of my friends (who are PT’s and OT’s).  More than anything, I am grateful!

Have a wonderful evening,
SS

Answer:

On warm versus cold you do whatever provides you relief.  Try the ice pack(chilling) in conjunction with IF and just see what happens.  We have one patient who is in his 40’s with some form of degenerative disease but he has to work each day.  He gets relief from cold so at work he takes his shoes and socks off, and sits at his desk with his feet on cold tile.   He does his IF couple times a day with feet being cooled down.  He also does not benefit from heat, but does so from cold and that is how he self treats.

On batteries, especially rechargeable versus disposable, a disposable is about 30% stronger than a rechargeable so that is one difference.  You will have more available power with disposable.  In actuality the Infrex Plus was not designed to use IF mode on batteries.  The batteries were more for tens and in situations where just could not use AC adaptor, then as an emergency Rx.  We were thinking of airplanes, cars, public waiting areas, etc.   If the unit ever takes off then we do have a plan to adapt the adaptor for plug in in car lighter ( that assume lighters still  in cars by time we get there!!!).

ON “menthol”, most topical pain products have menthol in them to some degree.  Menthol being some form of mint oil, ie peppermint, spearmint, mentha ,,,,,, .  Example if you remember Flex All.  It is basically the same product but with different amounts of mint oil.  Regular is 8%, chiropractic is 12%, and professional is 16%.  You can use ultrasound with flexall if you put the flexall in the coupling gel and you use the regular at 8% or chiro, but at Professional of 16% the oil content is so high that almost always there will be a skin irritation problem.   If you have problems with mint topically then make sure menthol is not the first ingredient mentioned on the “ingredients”, the farther down the ingredients menthol is then the better for you.

On Aspercreme with IF I don’t know.  Just try it and see how works and let us know. Electricity being used for topical meds works if the med is water based, not petroleum based.  Electricity does not drive medicinal ions in oils but will do so in water based, ie. Iontophoresis.  You might get greater absorption and depth of penetration possibly but not sure.   Also if you do try this then for sure if do with ice/chill then the vasoconstriction that will occur in the chilled area will help retain the meds longer which should increase absorption in the localized area.