Shockwave Therapy: What Is It And How Can It Help Me?
Do you experience chronic pain or have an injury that will not seem to heal? If your answer is yes, then shockwave therapy may be for you. Using acoustic waves that carry energy to injured tissue, shockwave therapy can provide fast pain relief and help to restore mobility through non-invasive treatment (1).
What is Shockwave Therapy?
Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT), more commonly known as shockwave, is a modality used by health professionals such as physiotherapists and chiropractors, to help treat common musculoskeletal conditions and chronic pain (1).
How it Works
Shockwave works by producing an acoustic wave that carries energy to painful and injured tissues. The energy triggers a biological effect that helps tissues regenerate and heal when they are unable to do so on their own (1, 3). The biological effects include the creation of new blood vessels and an analgesic (pain-relieving) response (2). These effects will results in an increased blood supply to the injured area, allowing cells to thrive and regenerate the injured tissues (2).
Benefits of Shockwave
There are many benefits to shockwave as a non-invasive, non-surgical therapy. Some of the benefits include accelerated healing, pain reduction, an earlier return to your daily activities and improved quality of life (3, 4).
Shockwave is an innovative treatment modality for various musculoskeletal conditions when other conservative treatments have failed (2). This type of therapy can produce results in as little as one treatment per week for 3-5 weeks (1). Shockwave has been shown to be an effective treatment for the following conditions:
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder)
- Tennis Elbow
- Chronic Tendinopathies (Achilles, Rotator Cuff, Elbow)
- Patellar Teninopathy (Jumpers Knee)
- Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (Shin Splints)
- Hip Pain and more.
We know that chronic pain and injury can have a significant impact on your everyday life. We have treated clients for a wide variety of chronic pain and injury issues, an we want you to know that we are here to assist in the healing process.
If you experience chronic pain or have a nagging injury, consult with the experts at Choice Health Centre to see if shockwave therapy is right for you.
References
- Shockwave Therapy | Shockwave Therapy [Internet]. Shockwavetherapy.eu. 2021 [cited 7 January 2021]. Available from: https://www.shockwavetherapy.eu/subpage
- Dedes V, Stergioulas A, Kipreos G, Dede A, Mitseas A, Panoutsopoulos G. Effectiveness and Safety of Shockwave Therapy in Tendinopathies. Materia Socio Medica. 2018;30(2):141.
- van Leeuwen M, Zwerver J, van den Akker-Scheek I. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy for patellar tendinopathy: a review of the literature. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2009;43(3):163-168.
- About Shockwave Therapy | [Internet]. Shockwavecanada.com. 2021 [cited 7 January 2021]. Available from: https://shockwavecanada.com/about-shockwave-therapy/#:~:text=Shockwave%20therapy%20accelerates%20the%20healing,bubbles%20that%20expand%20and%20burst.