A Study Of The Efficacy Of Diclofenac Iontophoresis For Providing Effective Topical Analgesia

Background & Objectives: Iontophoresis has evolved as one of the attractive methods for enhanced drug delivery The purpose of the study was to determine the efficacy of iontophoresis of diclofenac gel in providing topical analgesia Methods : Healthy volunteers were tested using the Iontophor meter. To the right dorsum of the hand of each volunteer, an electrode containing diclofenac gel was applied. No gel was applied to the left dorsum as a control. A current of 0.4 milliamps was applied for ten minutes to the right dorsum. The dorsal surfaces of both hands were tested with an eighteen gauge needle at 0, 5 and 10 minute intervals. The volunteer's response to the pinprick was recorded using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Results: 48 volunteers were tested. The control group had no significant variation from the overall mean pain score during the time of study. However, the mean pain score of the iontophoresis group decreased with time. Multivariate analysis of repeated measures to determine the effect of iontophoresis on the perception of pain showed statistical significance with respect to decrease in pain scores over time (p<0.001). Conclusions: Iontophoresis with diclofenac gel significantly reduces pain for pinprick and may be used as an alternative technique to provide topical analgesia.