What happens during shockwave therapy?
Jackie will work with you to identify the exact area of pain and apply a gel-like substance to the area to promote the process.
A probe is pressed on to the affected area and the shockwaves are delivered through the skin.
The shockwaves are felt as pulses which are a little uncomfortable but not painful. Typically your first treatment will start with a low level of intensity and increase this to a point where you feel comfortable. The procedure does not require any type of sedation or anaesthetic.
Shockwave therapy treatments are usually performed at weekly intervals.
Your first appointment will take about an hour, and include taking a case history and a shockwave treatment.
Please stop taking anti-inflammatories before your treatment.
Further treatment sessions take about 20 minutes.
After shockwave therapy
Some patients experience an improvement in symptoms almost immediately while others take several weeks to respond. You may notice a reddening or swelling of the area with some patients experiencing a brief increase in pain. It may take several weeks to see the overall benefit with continued improvement for up to 12 weeks.
How successful is Shockwave Therapy?
After only 3 or 4 treatments with shockwave therapy, over 80% of patients report a reduction of pain and regaining of normal function. For long term problems 6 treatments are recommended.
Research is steadily growing for this cutting-edge technology, and the latest reports are confirming shockwave therapy is an effective treatment of soft tissue injuries, pain and certain bony conditions like heel spurs.
What is Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy, also known as Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) and Radial Shock Wave Therapy (RSWT), is a clinically proven and highly effective treatment for chronic soft tissue injuries and certain bone conditions, approved by NICE guidelines.
A shockwave is defined as a non-evasive, non-electrical high energy sound wave that passes through the body via a hand-held probe. The shock waves produce a rapid increase in blood circulation to the target area and will break down fibrous scar tissue which builds up over time, especially with chronic conditions.
The break-down of scar tissue is the key to why shock wave therapy is so effective. Unlike normal elasticated tissue, scar tissue is non-elastic and will prevent normal movement and function, thereby weakening the unaffected tissue surrounding it, often causing further damage and pain. By increasing circulation and breaking down scar tissue, shockwave therapy will stimulate cell regeneration and promote normal healing and rapid reduction of pain. The normal function can then be restored.
Jackie Salter M.Sc., B.Sc. (Hons), D.O. Registered Osteopath Number 4026 01384 483081