Diathermy & Cryotherapy Contraindications
Within the consultation prior to any treatment we will discuss all medical past and present that may affect you having treatment or may mean we need doctors consent. Although the majority of patients I see are absolutely fine to go ahead with treatment.
Some contraindications mean we absolutely cannot treat, others mean we just need to proceed with caution and others mean we need doctors consent to treat.
There are more contraindications/restrictions for diathermy than there are for Cryotherapy. Diathermy uses an electrical current to create a heat to the tip of a fine needle which in turn cauterises the blemish. Cryotherapy uses high pressure nitrous oxide to freeze the unwanted blemish. Therefore there are certain contraindications to diathermy that are not for cryotherapy.
Things we look out for in your consultation (but not limited to) for Diathermy are:
Diabetes
High Blood Pressure
Metal Pins and Plates
Blood Disorders
Skin Disorders/Diseases
Epilepsy
Circulatory Disorders
Cancer
Auditory Devices
Pregnancy
Heart Conditions
Pacemakers
Keloid Scarring (This is where a scar keeps growing and becomes bigger than the wound)
Sunburnt Skin
Recent Tan
Things we look out for in consultation for cryotherapy are:
Impaired sensation
Impaired Circulation
Open Wounds
Skin Cancer
Superficial nerves
Recent Scar Tissue
Raynaud Disease
Prone to Keloid Scarring
Cardiac Disease
Hypersensitivity to cold
Antihistamines – you must avoid taking any antihistamines 2-3 days prior to any treatment.
This appears to be an awful lot of reasons why you cannot have treatment, however there are many variants and discussions to be had if any are ticked and more often than not if it is not in the area then we are good for treatment. On other occasions I may ask you to visit the doctor and confirm verbally that there is no medical reason why you may not be able to have treatment, maybe the condition is controlled etc.