Shockwave therapy is a 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 purpose of the therapy is to trigger the body’s own natural healing response. Many people report that their pain is reduced and mobility improved after the first treatment.
The use of this technology has spread to use in physical therapy for chronic—greater than 3 months—injuries and on trigger points.
The theory behind the use of this machine is 3 fold:
1) to restart the healing phases (like a reset button for body tissues);
2) to reduce active trigger points;
3) to break-up tissue adhesions in the body
How it works
Shockwave therapy uses a mechanical impulse that is aimed at a dysfunctional tissue. The impulse is at a rapid rate and causes a disturbance in the tissue so the body can recognize the need to send in supporting cells and chemicals to heal the tissue.
During the regenerative and reparative processes, certain tangible medical effects take place. Here’s how shockwave therapy treatment can help:
- New blood vessels are formed, improving blood supply and oxygenation of the treated area. Faster healing is one result.
- Reversal of chronic inflammation occurs as mast cell activity increases. Mast cells play an important role in wound healing and defense against pathogens.
- Accelerates the generation of collagen, which helps tendon fibers become denser and stiffer, creating a firmer structure.
- Calcium build-up breaks down – granular portions of the buildup are removed by the body’s lymphatic system in areas where micro-tears and other trauma to tendons exist.
- Substance P levels are lowered and pain is reduced when a neurotransmitter relays pain messages to the central nervous system and inhibits the formation of inflammatory edema.
Shockwave therapy has shown to effectively treat the following conditions:
- 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
Physiotherapy addresses several conditions and provides patients greater strength. Alongside shockwave therapy, pain can be alleviated and results may be felt more quickly:
- Safe and effective. Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive treatment that penetrates the body’s skin without requiring surgery. A study on knee osteoarthritis marked a decrease in pain and improved function in knee joints among patients who used shockwave therapy.
- Long-lasting. Patients who suffered from chronic tendinopathy in the shoulder, elbow, and plantar fascia reported no pain six months after treatment.
- Versatile. Shockwave therapy can be used to treat several chronic conditions and is shown to be effective when used with other treatments (like laser therapy).
The Actual Treatment
Typical treatment time with shockwave is roughly 5 minutes. This therapy can be a bit uncomfortable at first, but the area typically reduces in irritation after 30 seconds. Afterwards the tissue may be red and a bit sore for a few hours; on occasion the tissue may feel sore into the next day. This is not a bad thing and the soreness should be of a different quality if it is present at all.
3 to 5 treatment sessions of shockwave are typically necessary to cause enough disturbances so the body can re-heal itself properly
Proudly serving Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph and surrounding areas with the best chiropractic care, physiotherapy, and massage therapy. You and your family deserve the best in health.