Shockwave therapy uses Radial high pressure waves of compressed air to mechanically break up calcification and scar tissue caused by repetitive stress.
Shockwave Therapy
Fast pain relief and recovery for acute and chronic pain due to soft tissue injuries.
What is Shockwave Therapy?
Radial Pressure Waves
Therapeutic shockwaves were introduced as a medical treatment for eliminating kidney stones without causing skin injury, over 20 years ago. Some of the side effects discovered while using this treatment, were the bone healing and accelerated tissue healing results on the areas submitted to shockwave treatment. Today the use of radial shockwaves or Radial Pressures Waves (RPW) has been successfully extended to other therapeutic and wellness applications such as:
- Shoulder calcifications
- Insertion tendonitis
- Muscle trigger points
- Muscle and connective tissue activation
- Acupuncture therapy
- Cellulite treatment
- Body shaping
- Lymphatic drainage
- Medical massage
Radial Pressure Waves is an excellent non-invasive treatment method with very few negative side effects for indications that are normally very difficult to treat. For these indications we now know that RPW is a treatment method that reduces pain as well as improves function and quality of life.
Activation of Muscle and Connective Tissue
- Increasing circulation
- Pulse vibration massage
Disorder of Tendon Insertions
- Plantar Fasciitis, heel pain, or heel spur
- Tendinosis calcarea/supraspinatus-tendon
- Radial and ulnar humeral epicondylitis
Other treatable conditions:
- Jumper’s Knee
- Stress Fractures
- Bursitis
- Shin Splints
- Tennis Elbow
- Non-Healing Ulcers
- Calcific Rotator Cuff Tendonitis
- Scar Tissue Treatment
- Hamstring Tendinopathy
Physical effects of Radial Pressure Waves
Radial pressure waves offer a non-invasive treatment solution for long- term insertion and soft tissue pathologies. Local treatment of the affected area will enhance and reset the healing pattern. Today there are several working hypothesis for the physical effects of radial pressure waves:
- Pain reduction: The patient experiences a reduction of pain, explained by the Gate Control theory. Intensive pulses from the transmitter into the tissue, create a strong nociceptor activation of the A-β fibres, which affect interneurons that inhibit the transmission of the pain signals.
- Increased metabolism: Shockwaves influences the tissue on a cellular level. The chemical environment of the cells is affected by free radicals promoting the release of pain and inflammatory inhibiting substances.
- Revascularisation: Repeated shockwaves to the affected area create a revascularisation effect, with the new blood flow in the area promoting tissue healing and regeneration.
- Reduced muscle tone: The “vicious circle”, as well as the strong pathological association between pain and muscle tone, will be broken and lead to restoring a normalised muscular tone.
The treatment is relatively painless, and has no major side effects. Shockwave therapy provides superior clinical results when compared to traditional conservative care modalities used by physiotherapists and chiropractors. Because of the large number of scientific studies on the efficacy of this treatment, all with inarguably highly beneficial results, Shockwave Therapy is now known as the gold standard in the treatment of many chronic soft tissue disorders.
What is a Shockwave therapy appointment like?
Treatments last up to 20 minutes, depending on the disorder being treated. Treatment plans will often include other forms of therapy in conjunction with shockwave therapy, such as rehabilitative exercises, additional manual therapy techniques and education, to be assessed and determined by our physiotherapists.