Electrotherapy US Practice Test 2026 - Free Electrotherapy Practice Questions and Study Guide

When a patient reports warmth or burning under an electrode, it signals potential skin injury from excessive current density or poor contact, so safety means acting immediately. Stop the treatment, inspect the skin for redness or signs of a burn, check electrode–skin contact and impedance, adjust or reposition the electrodes (reapply conductive gel or pads as needed), and then reintroduce therapy gradually at a lower intensity and shorter duration once the skin is clear. This approach prevents worsening injury and still allows the electrical treatment to be delivered safely. Increasing intensity would worsen the sensation, moving electrodes without addressing contact won’t fix the issue, and ignoring symptoms risks a burn.