Radial Shockwave Therapy - Can it help my pain?
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) uses acoustic pulses to treat certain musculoskeletal disorders. It is a well-studied and commonly used treatment modality for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions around the world. Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (rESWT) is used successfully for:
Superficial indications, such as Plantar fasciopathy, Achilles tendinopathy, medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints), greater trochanteric pain syndrome, etc.
1st choice to address calcaneal tendinopathies & enthesopathies, fasciopathies, muscular pathologies, trigger points and spastic tissues.
This form of treatment was originally developed for other medical condition, such as kidney stones, and is widely used in Europe and North America for treatment of many soft tissue conditions. Shock Wave Therapy has been shown to be a safe and effective method of treatment. Radial shock waves are high energy sound waves transmitted from a probe held against, and passing through the skin, and spreading outwards into the underlying tissues. This is believed to induce increased blood flow and metabolic activity around the site of pain accelerating or inducing the healing process. At the very least, it effectively reduces pain from this area.
At our clinic, we often use Shock Wave as a helpful adjunct to decrease your pain in order for you to successfully rehabilitate the problem area. Ie if you’re in less pain, it’s a lot easier to do your exercises and get the tendon or injury stronger! As more research emerges from Europe, clinicians are increasingly using Shock Wave for a variety of pathologies. Athletes may also use shockwave prior to an event to decrease pain in the short term without some of the side effects of strong medications.
ABOUT THE TREATMENT
Shockwaves are applied via a hand-piece or applicator held against the skin. The initial phase of treatment may cause some pain however this indicates correct targeting of the problem area. This is usually followed by numbness or heaviness in the area and the later phase of the treatment feels less painful. Many patients experience pain relief just days after the first treatment. Depending on the condition and your response you may require 1 to 5 treatments. Our practitioners are trained in a variety of protocols to adjust the applicator head and machine settings in order to gain the best outcome for your specific site of pain. Like any therapy, there are some contraindications to this form of treatment. This means that your practitioner may confirm elements of your medical & medication history or require a scan to confirm that it is the right option for you.
AFTER THE TREATMENT:
You may feel some soreness which may intensify on the night of treatment. Simple analgesia (paracetamol) and ice may be useful to control this pain. It is important that you don’t use anti inflammatories as this may negate the effect of the Shock Wave. There may also be some minor bruising in the treatment area.
If you are interested in booking in for Shock Wave Therapy, please give us a call on 5333 2232 or discuss. with you practitioner the next time. you are in the clinic. If our practitioners think that Shock Wave Therapy may be helpful for you, they will be. sure to let you know.