What is shockwave therapy?
Shockwave therapy uses a series of energetic shockwaves (not electrical) applied to the area that requires treatment.
SWT stimulates and speeds up the healing process allowing your body to repair itself. Research studies have shown an approximately 80% success rate once all underlying issues are addressed.
How does SWT work?
Shockwave therapy can convert a chronic inflammatory condition into an acute inflammatory condition (pro-inflammatory), and so the body’s own healing process is accelerated. The beneficial effects of SWT include:
- Increasing blood circulation
- Reversal of chronic inflammation
- Stimulation of new tissue growth
- Breaking down calcium deposits
It can break down injured tissue and calcifications, which are present in chronic tendon injuries that may not have responded to other treatments. The same technology has been used to break up kidney stones without surgery.
What conditions is Shockwave therapy suitable for?
- Plantar fasciitis
- Achilles tendinopathy
- Patellar tendonopathy
- Jumper’s knee
- Tennis and golfer’s elbow (medial and lateral epicondylalgia)
- Shoulder calcification/frozen shoulder/tendinopathy/impingement
- Greater trochanteric pain syndrome/ITB
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Muscle tears/tightness/strain
How does SWT work?
Shockwave therapy can convert a chronic inflammatory condition into an acute inflammatory condition (pro-inflammatory), and so the body’s own healing process is accelerated. The beneficial effects of SWT include:
- Increasing blood circulation
- Reversal of chronic inflammation
- Stimulation of new tissue growth
- Breaking down calcium deposits
It can break down injured tissue and calcifications, which are present in chronic tendon injuries that may not have responded to other treatments. The same technology has been used to break up kidney stones without surgery.
Is shockwave therapy painful?
Most patients experience discomfort or pain during treatment, but it is generally well tolerated as it only lasts a few minutes. Having some pain during the treatment illustrates that the shockwaves have a positive effect. Your physiotherapist will closely monitor how you tolerate the session and adjust the intensity as needed.
Shockwave therapy purposefully creates an inflammatory response in injured soft tissue, so you may also experience mild discomfort 24 hours following treatment. Even if you have no pain after treatment, we strongly recommend that you refrain from intensive activities that stress the treated area for 48 hours after each treatment.
What are the advantages of SWT?
Shockwave offers many advantages, including:
- No anaesthesia
- Non-invasive
- No medication
- No surgery
- Fast treatment – 30 minutes per session, 4- 6 sessions required
- Fewer complications
- Virtually painless after treatment
- Significant clinical benefits are often seen 6-8 weeks after treatment
How fast does SWT work?
The treatment can sometimes be uncomfortable, but it is short in duration; a 10-15 minute session is all that is necessary to treat the area successfully. A treatment can be modified to suit the patient’s pain tolerance. Patients return for 4-6 sessions to effectively treat the area. It is necessary to have successive treatment sessions. These are spaced sufficiently to allow the tissue to respond to the treatment and are usually one week apart. Reported side effects are minimal, however there may be some discomfort during treatment, skin reddening, and possible bruising.
SWT may not be suitable for you if you have/are:
- pregnant
- taking antiplatelets excluding aspirin 75mgs (e.g. clopidogrel) or anticoagulants (e.g.warfarin)
- a blood clotting disorder
- cancer
- a cardiac pacemaker or other cardiac device
- an infection in the injured area
- have had a steroid injection in the area in the previous 12 weeks