Is Shockwave Therapy the treatment for you?

Have you suffered with pain for more than 6 months? Is the pain something that gets better with exercise but then worsens after? Have you tried physiotherapy, osteopathy, manual therapy and medication but still not got the results you want?

No? Then Shockwave Therapy may be the option for you!

Shockwave therapy is a non-surgical treatment that works by targeting a specific damaged tissue (particularly tendons) and delivering impulses of energy. Shockwave therapy forces your body to create new tissue cells in the damaged area. It restarts the body’s natural healing mechanism.

Shockwave Therapy safely and effectively treats musculoskeletal pain and injury.

Typically, the most common conditions we treat with shockwave therapy include

• Tendinopathies;

– Achilles
– rotator cuff
– tennis elbow
– plantar fasciitis/heel pain

Shockwave therapy has also been shown to help with;

• Muscle Aches and Pains know as trigger points
• Osteoarthritis
• Delayed Unions and Non-union Fractures

There are two types of Shockwave Therapy, radial and focused. Here at Resolution clinic we use Radial Shockwave Therapy. Radial Shockwave therapy involves compressed air travelling through the device at a high speed, up to 90km/h. The kinetic energy created is converted into a shock wave and is delivered to the target tissue through the skin.

To break it down, radial shockwave therapy has three stages:

1. The Compression Phase – penetrates skin and weakens the tissue
2. The Depression Phase – generates cavitation bubbles
3. Shock Wave Phase – the bubbles collapse, causing secondary shock waves

After a professional diagnosis is performed there are 4 simple steps to successful Shockwave Therapy.

1. Palpate and mark – locate the painful area through putting pressure on different points and asking the patient where it hurts
2. Apply the gel – apply coupling gel to that area
3. Treat with shockwaves – deliver shockwaves to the area whilst keeping the applicator firmly in place
4. Relax muscles – if muscles are tense, relax them by applying radial shockwaves to surrounding tissues.

There’s a lot of evidence to show how Shockwave Therapy can treat all the conditions listed earlier in the blog.

Imamura et al (2017) did some research into how Shockwave Therapy performed when used to treat knee osteoarthritis. After 3 sessions, using the Swiss Dolorclast (EMS) device and the Power + handpiece the Shockwave therapy “showed a positive outcome when treating knee osteoarthritis”.

You should expect a gradual healing process over days, weeks or months. Although it is rare, you may experience soreness or bruising after the treatment. People typically see results after the first session, and with good rehab most noticeable gains are seen at 12/13 weeks post treatment.

• You avoid getting worse before getting better
• You don’t need time off for recovery
• It’s non-surgical
• There’s no risk of infection

Shockwave Therapy is generally not too painful. There may be slight discomfort, but this depends on how much pain the patient is in prior to the treatment. The power of the shockwave delivery is also adjustable so patients can get used to the sensation before increasing to the desired levels for each condition.

For advice or to find out more about shockwave therapy please get in touch.