Do you suffer from painful injuries that just won’t go away? Injuries caused by damaged soft tissue or bone problems are painful, incapacitating, hard to manage and upset the quality of your daily life.
In such cases, if regular pain medication doesn’t relieve your pain and discomfort and the idea of surgery is overwhelming and risky, exploring alternative therapeutic procedures. The effectiveness and benefits of Shockwave Therapy for persistent pain is discussed in this article.
Shockwave Therapy also known as extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a procedure which uses concentrated energy for curative and restorative applications. This is a non-invasive or non-surgical option for patients diagnosed with various chronic ailments.
Shockwave therapy creates an anti-inflammatory reaction in your body which leads to increase in metabolic and circulatory activity around the area of pain. In simple terms, shockwave therapy promotes self-healing, recovery and remodelling of damaged tissues.
What is shockwave therapy?
Shockwave Therapy, a non-surgical solution to persistent problems that stimulates the body’s natural healing properties. It involves sending controlled shockwaves through your skin directed to the painful or damaged tissues.
Shockwave therapy encourages the breakdown of scar tissue and calcification of the bone. This naturally leads to almost immediate decrease in pain through reduction of nerve signals from the effected part to the brain.
This procedure has been around for more than a decade and is confirmed to be a safe and efficient therapy through extensive clinical studies and laboratory tests.
How does Shockwave Therapy work?
During a shockwave therapy session, the therapist uses single-impulse transient acoustic waves. This can be induced through multiple generators. The energy is then focused on the area needed to be treated. Depending on the severity and chronicity of problem, Shockwave therapy can take upto 6 to 8 weeks.
How shockwave therapy works
Common conditions treated with Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy is used, most often, to treat chronic ailments. These include tendon inflammation in various parts of the body including the hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, heel as well as sole of the foot. Shockwave therapy is also used widely to address sports related injuries and ergonomic shortfalls including tennis or golfers’ elbow, tendinitis of the shoulder, tendinopathies of the Achilles tendon, hamstring and patella, and other painful conditions.
Advantages of Shockwave Therapy over surgical treatment
Shockwave therapy can be done right in your therapist’s office without anaesthesia in about 20 to 30 minutes. In most cases, no side effects are reported, and the costs are reasonable.
Some other benefits of shockwave therapy include:
- Uses natural impulses of the body to stimulates the body’s self-healing process
- No anaesthesia is required as it is non-invasive
- No special diet, medication or injection is necessary before or during treatment
- Normal/ daily activities can be resumed the next day.
- Immediate results and pain relief
- Known to encourage flexibility and increased range of motion
When should I try Shockwave Therapy?
If you experience pain and other symptoms for months and have tried a variety of traditional remedies but got no results, Shockwave therapy might be what your body needs. Continuing to work or use an injured or painful part of your body will only cause further damage and will make healing more difficult. It may even worsen over time causing a rupture or tear which only a surgery can fix. Additionally, you may be causing stress to other parts of your body as well. Studies have shown that long-term compensatory or reactive movements will, take a toll on your knees, hips and lower back. So doing nothing and hoping the problem will just go away, in most cases, will lead to aggravating the problem.
What to expect during a Shockwave therapy session?
Shockwave Therapy on average, takes about 30 minutes and is performed with specialized equipment. Expect some amount of soreness and pain in the initial sessions of shockwave therapy due to the inflammatory reaction in the tissues. This will subside within a few hours of the treatment.
After your treatment plan is completed, you will usually be asked to make a follow up visit by your therapist to see how you’re getting on.
Shockwave Therapy is a non-invasive treatment option endorsed by physicians across a variety of specialties.
To learn if shockwave therapy is right for you, set an appointment at the Caring Hands Physiotherapy or fill out the form on our website. For more information about shockwave therapy, contact us today.
