Shockwave Physiotherapy

Shockwave therapy is most suited for people who have chronic (ie greater than six weeks) tendinopathies including tennis elbow, achilles, rotator cuff, plantar fasciitis, jumpers knee, calcific tendinitis of the shoulder. These painful, and often debilitating, conditions are usually the result of sport, overuse, or repetitive strain.

How does shockwave therapy work?

Shockwave therapy is an extracorporeal, non-invasive treatment that involves creating a series of low energy acoustic wave pulsations that are directly applied to an injury through a person’s skin via a gel medium.

The concept and technology originally evolved from the discovery that focused sound waves were capable of breaking down kidney and gallstones. Since then medical research has gone on to successfully document the benefits of shockwave therapy in replacing the need for painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications by triggering the body’s own natural healing response.

In comparison to ultrasound waves, the shockwave peak pressure can be approximately 1000 times greater than the peak pressure of an ultrasound wave. Shockwave therapy is its own treatment for a lingering injury, or pain resulting from illness and people often report that their pain is reduced and mobility improved after the first treatment.

Shockwave therapy is known to effectively treat these  conditions and many more.

Feet – heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis

Elbow – tennis and golfers elbow

Shoulder – calcific tendinosis of rotator cuff muscles

Knee – patellar tendonitis

Hip – bursitis

Lower leg – shin splints

Upper leg – Iliotibial band friction syndrome

Back pain – lumbar and cervical spine regions and chronic muscular pain

 Some of the benefits of shockwave therapy treatment:

– Fast and effective pain relief

– Mobility restoration

– Non-surgical and non-invasive

– No need for medication

– No risk of infection

– No risk of tendon rupture

The patient must first be assessed by our physiotherapist to confirm that they are an appropriate candidate for shockwave therapy. The physiotherapist may prescribe other things they should do in conjunction with the treatment – activity modification, specific exercises, and assessing other issues such as posture, tightness/weakness of other muscle groups etc.

Side effects: 

After the treatment, one may experience temporary soreness, tenderness or swelling for a few days following the procedure, as the shockwaves stimulate an inflammatory response. But this is the body healing itself naturally so, it is important not to ice the area or take any anti-inflammatory medication after the treatment, which may slow down the results.

With limited side effects from this therapy, the recovery process is minimal compared with that of surgical intervention.

Contraindications:

Shockwave therapy should not be used if there is a circulation or nerve disorder, infections or open wounds, tumours, metabolic bone conditions, artificial implants, those with pacemakers, or during pregnancy. People using blood-thinning medications or who have severe circulatory disorders may also not be eligible for treatment