IFC Flashcards
What is IFC primarily used for?
Pain management in acute, subacute, and chronic pain conditions
Where does the therapeutic frequency range from?
1-150 pps (Hz)
What does the therapist wish to obtain from the therapeutic frequency range?
The desired response from human tissue-tetany, multiple contractions, pumping action, or sensory pain relief
Based on principle II, the patient’s skin and subcutaneous fat act as…
a resistor to the therapeutic currents that we are trying to introduce to the underlying tissue
Based on principle II, what should we keep in mind? (1.)
The amount of current that actually reaches the desired tissues is decreased
Based on principle II, what should we keep in mind? (2.)
The patient may experience discomfort and/or skin irritation if the intensity of the current is increased in an attempt to move the current to deeper tissues
Based on principle III, as current frequency increases, the
amount of resistance at the skin decreases
What does principle III allow?
It allows more of the current to penetrate to deeper tissue with less intensity, affording a greater degree of patient comfort
IFC has _ independent channels, which deliver a minimum of…
4000 Hz each
How many electrodes are required in IFC and how are they placed?
Four electrodes are placed in a quadripolar arrangement around the treatment site so that currents from the 2 channels cross at the treatment site at tissue level
What is the concept of the crossed currents in IFC?
The two currents cross each other creating interference. When the two currents cross, they cancel themselves out leaving only the remaining difference in their frequencies, known as the beat (or resultant) frequency
What are the 3 methods of delivery of IFC?
Quadripolar set up with sweep, static, and target
Describe quadripolar with static
Generic set up, similar to TENS
What is the use of quadripolar with sweep?
When a patient presents with a “general” painful site and cannot provide specifics, when electrode placement is less than optimal, and when the target treatment tissue spans over a large area
What is the use of quadripolar with target?
When a patient is able to identify a specific location of pain
