Evidence Based Shock Wave Therapy
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What does Shock Wave Therapy Treat?
Radial Pressure Shock Waves (RPSW); an excellent, well researched and yet non invasive treatment method for various chronic conditions. It has very few negative side effects reported and is indicated for use by majority of people. RPSW is a treatment method that reduces pain as well as improves and restore function and quality of life for pain sufferer.
Shock Wave therapy can be useful in treat the following conditions:
Shock Wave therapy can be useful in treat the following conditions:
- Feet – heel spurs, plantar fasciopathy/faciitis, tendinopathies (ie, achilles tendinopathy), Chronic ankle instablity and injuries.
- Knee – patellar tendon issues, referred knee pain secondary to trigger points
- Lower Leg – shin splints, tight calves with active myofascial trigger points,
- Upper Leg – Iliotibial band friction syndrome
How Does Shockwaves work?
Shock Wave energy is generated by the Shock Wave machine then transmitted via the handpiece and applied to the target the painful injured body regions, where it effectively stimulates the bodies intrinsic healing capabilities to restore normal tissue and heal injured tissue.
Re-vascularisation occurs in the target tissues, producing new blood vessels which improves blood flow and removal of waste products. Shock Wave therapy essentially turns a chronic injury into an acute injury by its action on damaged tissue. The collagen in the damaged tissue gradually regenerates and the damaged area eventually heals.
Re-vascularisation occurs in the target tissues, producing new blood vessels which improves blood flow and removal of waste products. Shock Wave therapy essentially turns a chronic injury into an acute injury by its action on damaged tissue. The collagen in the damaged tissue gradually regenerates and the damaged area eventually heals.
What can I expect in a Shock Wave treatment session?
Each treatment session lasts approximately 20 – 30 minutes of which the Shock Wave energy is delivered to the target area. This involves positioning the Shock Wave therapy hand piece onto the injured/ affected area to allow the unit to gently and extensively transmit shock waves deep into that region. Local treatment of the affected area will enhance and reset the healing pattern.
The feedback you provide helps the clinician fine tune the position of the applicator and the intensity of the treatment.
The feedback you provide helps the clinician fine tune the position of the applicator and the intensity of the treatment.
Does ShockWave Therapy hurt?
It does not generally cause any significant pain and there is NO local anaesthetic required. Many patients describe their treatment as “mild sensation”.
Upon completion of your treatment you can return to most regular activities almost immediately although it is advised to rest the injured area for the best healing to take place. Pain or discomfort may persist for a few days following treatment but no serious complications or side effects have been reported. This temporary inflammation is a wanted effect to recruit the bodies healing process.
However, Shock Wave Therapy should not be used if there is a:
Upon completion of your treatment you can return to most regular activities almost immediately although it is advised to rest the injured area for the best healing to take place. Pain or discomfort may persist for a few days following treatment but no serious complications or side effects have been reported. This temporary inflammation is a wanted effect to recruit the bodies healing process.
However, Shock Wave Therapy should not be used if there is a:
- circulation or nerve disorder,
- infection,
- bone tumour,
- or a metabolic bone condition
- open wounds
- if the patient is pregnant
How many treatments do I need to improve my condition?
Therapy frequency and length of treatment depends on the condition which is being treated. We will be able to provide you with thorough plan of treatment after an assessment.
In most cases (3-6) treatments has found to be effective spaced a week apart in the majority of patients.
Patients commonly describe a flicking or light sensation during treatment, this is usually tolerable but some patients may experience an increased sensation when the area is close to bone.
In most cases (3-6) treatments has found to be effective spaced a week apart in the majority of patients.
Patients commonly describe a flicking or light sensation during treatment, this is usually tolerable but some patients may experience an increased sensation when the area is close to bone.
Does Shockwave therapy really work?
Provided you are a candidate for this type of treatment, clinical studies suggest there is an 90% – 95% success rate for this technology in treating patients with applicable conditions. Scientific research supports the use of ESWT Shockwave therapy in the treatment of tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, calcifications and many other muscular-skeletal conditions
So is it the treatment for me?
At Excel Podiatry, we never use Shockwave Therapy as the sole treatment. We always address all the issues surrounding the specific injury. We use Shockwave Therapy as an additional modality used in our treatments to get better results for all our patients
Additional Information
Abstracted from RPW ShockWave PDF
There are several working hypotheses for the physical effects of radial pressure waves:
• Shockwaves create increased cell membrane permeability metabolically which allows old, damaged and weakened cells to be removed and replaced with healthy viable cells.
• And neurologically, Shockwaves produce a counter irritation at the dorsal root ganglion actually modulating the amount of nocioceptive activity and decreasing the pain signal and actually closing the theoretical pain gate.
• Vascular changes such as increased blood circulate in tissues which increases the oxygen content and significantly reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the tissue which may stimulate the healing process.
• Based on the hypothesis towards associative pain memory (Wess), afferent pain signals are transmitted through the central nervous system by multiple synaptic junctions which eventually cause efferent fibres to control muscle tone. The reflex mechanism works just like a regulatory circuit.
There are several working hypotheses for the physical effects of radial pressure waves:
• Shockwaves create increased cell membrane permeability metabolically which allows old, damaged and weakened cells to be removed and replaced with healthy viable cells.
• And neurologically, Shockwaves produce a counter irritation at the dorsal root ganglion actually modulating the amount of nocioceptive activity and decreasing the pain signal and actually closing the theoretical pain gate.
• Vascular changes such as increased blood circulate in tissues which increases the oxygen content and significantly reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the tissue which may stimulate the healing process.
• Based on the hypothesis towards associative pain memory (Wess), afferent pain signals are transmitted through the central nervous system by multiple synaptic junctions which eventually cause efferent fibres to control muscle tone. The reflex mechanism works just like a regulatory circuit.
