Lidocaine iontophoresis mediates analgesia in lateral epicondylalgia treatment.
OBJECTIVE
Iontophoresis transcutaneously delivers anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs for the treatment of musculoskeletal dysfunction. Lidocaine is a local anaesthetic with analgesic but no anti-inflammatory properties. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the clinical use of lidocaine iontophoresis-mediated analgesia in a larger treatment algorithm for five patients with lateral humeral epicondylalgia.


METHODS
The investigation was a case series design of five subjects, aged 52 (+/- 6) years, with epicondylalgia of 12-393 days' duration. At each treatment session, the patients received cryotherapy, cross-fibre massage and passive stretch. Between sessions analgesia was provided by an 80 mA-min low-current, long-duration lidocaine iontophoresis (LI) over a 24-hour period. Patients were treated on an every-other-day basis for a total of three treatment sessions. Clinical improvements were determined by triplicate measurements of dolorimetric force over the affected epicondyle prior to treatment 1 (baseline), prior to sessions 2 and 3, and one week following the last session.


RESULTS
Patients demonstrated an increasing tolerance to dolorimetric force application prior to the next session. The force values prior to session 2 (3.1 (+/- 1.1) Newton (N)) and one week following the third session (3.4 (+/- 0.5) N) were significantly improved from the baseline values (2.1 (+/- 0.9) N).


CONCLUSIONS
Pain associated with lateral epicondylalgia decreased, and function improved in all patients at the final measurement. One patient returned during the 90-day follow-up period to seek additional medical attention. This investigation documents the potential for analgesia provided by LI in the rehabilitation process of musculoskeletal dysfunction.
Yarrobino
Thomas E
TE
Optimum Physical Therapy, Smithtown, New York, USA
Kalbfleisch
John H
JH
Ferslew
Kenneth E
KE
Panus
Peter C
PC
D000465:Algorithms; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007478:Iontophoresis / Q000379:methods*; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods; D013716:Tennis Elbow / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008012:Lidocaine