SHOCKWAVE THERAPY
What is Shockwave Therapy?
An acoustic wave with great energy that travels to damaged tissue is called a shockwave. The energy supports the processes of bone, tendon, and other soft tissue regeneration and repair.
Shockwave Therapy may be the best course of action for you if you have a chronic injury that improves then worsens over time and is marked by stiffness when you first move or exercise but improves with increased movement.
Musculoskeletal problems and chronic tendon injuries can be healed in as little as three to four treatments.
The way the treatment functions is by dissolving old cells and scar tissue and replacing them with fresh, working blood vessels, neurons, and cells.
The apparatus was initially intended to dissolve kidney and gallbladder stones. These days, the wave length and frequency can be adjusted to target the body's more superficial parts. Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) breaks up damaged tissue using high amplitude mechanical energy pulses, in a manner similar to the treatment of kidney and gallstones.
Here are a few things which Shockwave can treat:
• Achilles Tendinopathy
• Plantar fasciitis
• Tennis Elbow
• Shoulder Tendinitis
• Subacromial shoulder pain Syndrome
• Hip Pain (Bursitis)
• Knee Pain (Patella)
• Lower Back Pain (Idiopathic)
• Myofascial pain Syndrome
• Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)
• Osgood-Schlatter’s Disease
So how does it work?
Having shockwave therapy as a therapeutic option gives physiotherapists another weapon in their toolbox for treating tendon issues that just don't seem to respond to conventional methods. The majority of patients with chronic tendinopathies (also known as tendinitis) that have not improved with other treatments are best candidates for shockwave therapy. These patients may have calcific tendinitis of the shoulder, tennis elbow, achilles, rotator cuff, plantar fasciitis, or jumpers knee. Overuse, repetitive strain, or sports may be the cause of these.
Through the release of growth factors and pain mediators, shockwave therapy reduces pain. By widening the blood arteries, this procedure promotes blood flow and the growth of new tissue. After the inflammation has decreased, healing can start. This is essentially a non-surgical way to get pain relief!
What should I expect?
On your initial visit, the physiotherapist will evaluate you to make sure you are a good fit for shockwave therapy. Your physiotherapist will make sure you understand your condition and what you can do to help manage it. This includes modifying your activities, doing targeted exercises, and evaluating any additional factors that may be contributing to your problem, such as poor posture or tightness in other muscle groups. Depending on the outcome, shockwave therapy is often administered once a week for three to six weeks. Although the actual therapy only lasts for four to five minutes and can be modified in intensity to suit the patient, it can produce some mild discomfort.
Pricing
30 mins - £40
or an extra £7 on your follow-up session fee
OR 5 Sessions for £200