Shockwave therapy
is a new treatment technique that works by sending
high pressured acoustic waves which creates
microtears in the tendon
to significantly stimulate the growth
and remodeling of new cells, resulting in
FASTER HEALING and PAIN RELIEF.
This non – invasive procedure offers an ideal
alternative to the traditional treatment and surgeries.
It is designed to treat conditions such as:
Plantar Fasciitis
Achilles tendonitis
Patellar tendinopathy
Tennis / Golfers
Calcific tendinopathies of the shoulders
Lower limb tendinopathy.
Ask one of our physiotherapists how Shockwave therapy can help you
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. It is the inflammation of a tough band of tissue called plantar fascia that spans across the arch of the foot, connecting the heel bone to the toes.
Several studies have been performed to assess the effectiveness of Shockwave Therapy in plantar fasciitis. A systematic review conducted on 294 patients suffering from chronic plantar fasciitis revealed a significant improvement in heel pain by 60% following Shockwave Therapy (1).
Achilles Tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis is an inflammation of the Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness of the affected tendon during and after activity.
Shockwave treatment accelerates the blood flow, facilitating the healing of the inflamed Achilles tendon. Around 91% of individuals report a notable reduction in their pain scores after the treatment (2).
The treatment is recommended, particularly in combination with an eccentric exercise program for all forms of chronic Achilles tendonitis (3).
Patellar Tendinopathy (Jumper’s Knee)
It is an overuse injury affecting the knee, primarily seen in athletes who participate in jumping and running sports.
Shockwave Therapy is a safe and effective remedy for Jumper’s Knee. The results range from fair with 10% of people showing improvement to excellent with 87.5% of patients reporting a decrease in their pain scores (4). The increase in blood flow to the patellar tendon and a decrease in the patellar tendon thickness accounts for these effects of Shockwave Therapy.
Tennis or Golfer’s Elbow
Epicondylitis is the inflammation of tendons attached to the elbow and is of two types. Tennis elbow affects and causes pain on the outer side of the elbow whereas Golfer’s elbow affects the elbow’s inner side.
By boosting the blood flow to the injured tendon, Shockwave treatment minimizes pain and optimizes function in both forms of epicondylitis.
The treatment is equally effective to the steroid injections yet also improves the hand-grip strength in lateral epicondylitis to a greater extent (5).
Calcific Tendinopathies of the Shoulder
This is a condition in which calcium gets deposited within and around the rotator cuff tendons.
Shockwave treatment induces vibration of tissue molecules and disintegrates the calcium crystal, thus, relieving pain and expanding the range of movement of the shoulder joint (6). The use of Shockwave treatment for calcific tendinitis of the shoulder showed good to excellent results in 87.9% of shoulders treated and fair in 12.1% (7).
Lower Limb Tendinopathy
Lower limb tendinopathy means disease of the lower limb tendons. It encompasses greater trochanteric pain syndrome, Jumper’s Knee, and Achilles tendinopathy.
The Shockwave Therapy alone is far more superior to other alternative non-surgical treatments recommended for these disorders (8).
Open Academic References List
- Aqil A, Siddiqui MRS, Solan M, Redfern DJ, Gulati V, Cobb JP. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy Is Effective In Treating Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: A Meta-analysis of RCTs. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 2013
- Fridman R, Cain JD, Weil L Jr, Weil L Sr. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy for the treatment of Achilles tendinopathies: a prospective study. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2008.
- Pavone V, Cannavò L, Di Stefano A, Testa G, Costarella L, Sessa G. Low-Energy Extracorporeal Shock-Wave Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy: A Case Series. BioMed Research International. 2016.
- Wang C-J. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy in musculoskeletal disorders. Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. 2012.
- Beyazal MS, Devrimsel G. Comparison of the effectiveness of local corticosteroid injection and extracorporeal shock wave therapy in patients with lateral epicondylitis. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2015.
- Kim E-K, Kwak K-I. Effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy on the shoulder joint functional status of patients with calcific tendinitis. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2016.
- Hsu CJ, Wang DY, Tseng KF, Fong YC, Hsu HC, Jim YF. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for calcifying tendinitis of the shoulder. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2008.
- Mani-Babu S, Morrissey D, Waugh C, Screen H, Barton C. The effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in lower lim tendinopathy: a systematic review. Am J Sports Med. 2015.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How many treatments do I need?
“A minimum of three treatment sessions are required depending on your response to therapy and the condition to be treated. The sessions are scheduled at weekly intervals and ideally take 5 to 10 minutes.”
What does the treatment feel like?
“As the shockwave therapy probe is moved around the area to treated, you will sense vibrations around the targeted area. You may experience mild pain initially, which subsides after a few minutes.”