Shockwave therapy is a safe and effective way to reduce your pain and accelerate your body’s natural healing ability.
Energy waves cause a controlled impact on the tissue being treated. This results in a biological reaction within the cells of that inflamed or damaged tissue, which will trigger the body to accelerate its natural healing responses and will increase blood flow to the injured site.
This treatment option is used by our Chiropodist.
Conditions Treated with Shockwave Therapy
- Plantar fasciitis (heel spur)
- Patellar tendonitis (jumper’s knee)
- Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
- Osteoarthritis
- Medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow)
- Thumb basal joint arthritis
- Shoulder tendonitis
- Chronic inflammation
- Bursitis
- Shin splints
- Morton’s Neuroma
- Stress fractures
- Achilles tendonitis
The Benefits of Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave Therapy has overwhelming evidence that supports this technology for treating certain conditions that usually do not respond well to other forms of treatment.
Quick Pain Relief: Unlike many other forms of therapy, with shockwave therapy you will usually notice immediate results. These often include a significant reduction in pain, an increase in your range of motion, your muscle tone is normalized, and previously noticeable knots or tightness have become relaxed.
Drug-Free: Shockwave therapy works without the use of drugs to stimulate your body’s natural healing process, and can even eliminate your need for surgery.
Safe: Shockwave therapy is very safe. All evidence shows that shockwave therapy, when used for the appropriate conditions, has no negative health effects. However, there are certain conditions where shockwave therapy is not recommended, including: coagulation disorders, therapy over cancerous regions or tumors, children in a growth stage, and pregnancy. For this reason, we take special care to assess your individual condition and medical history.
During and After Treatment
Treatments do not take long, usually lasting from 10 to 15 minutes, and can sometimes produce immediate results.
Many patients ask whether shockwave therapy hurts. If the treatment is done on a fleshy area, you are unlikely to feel any discomfort at all, whereas treatments on bony regions tend to be more sensitive. The treatment can be slightly uncomfortable, but most people find it tolerable. If you are especially sensitive, adjustments on the equipment can decrease the discomfort you feel.
Some patients experience slight discomfort, reddening, or bruising 2 to 4 hours after the treatment. In some cases, symptoms can last up to 48 hours. The treatment triggers an inflammatory response, which is the body’s natural healing process. For this reason, do not use anti-inflammatory medications or ice. We recommend decreased activity for 48 hours following your treatment, even if you feel fine.
For more information about shockwave therapy treatments, contact our office for an initial consultation and thorough assessment.