Shockwave therapy significantly reduces the pain that accompanies tendinopathies and improves functionality and quality of life. It may be the first option. It could be the first choice because of its efficacy and safety. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy is a highly effective, non-surgical, evidence-based technology for treating tendonitis, tendinosis, tendinopathies and other musculoskeletal conditions chronicles.
Radial shockwave therapy is a cutting-edge technology that has been shown to increase the rate of healing of soft tissue injuries, musculoskeletal pain and tendinopathy. It is an advanced, non-invasive and highly effective treatment method that reduces inflammation, improves blood circulation and growth factors, which can accelerate the healing process and allows acutely or chronically damaged tissue to gradually regenerate. Intravenous therapy sends shock waves directly to the tendon to improve blood flow and stimulate the body's healing process. Increased blood flow provides vital nutrients and collagen, which are needed for healing the damaged tendon.
Shockwave therapy or extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is an innovative, cost-effective, evidence-based treatment for tendon pain (often referred to as tendonitis or tendinopathy) and other conditions throughout the body. Extracorporeal means that it is outside the body. The main benefits of the shock wave are pain relief and restoration of function. Shockwave therapy has proven to be an effective treatment modality for a variety of common tendon conditions, such as plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy and the tennis elbow.
Shockwave therapy is a safe, non-invasive treatment with compelling evidence of its effectiveness from a large amount of research and clinical trials. There are currently several randomized, double-blind clinical trials supporting the use of shock wave treatment for plantar fasciitis, lateral epicondylitis, and calcified shoulder tendonitis. This is sometimes referred to as their “mechanism of action”. Shockwave therapy uses a specialized device to send acoustic energy through the skin to the injured part of the body.
Shock waves are mechanical and not electrical. These are low-energy audible sound waves that increase blood flow to the injured area. Shockwave therapy has two main modes of action that will help with persistent tendon pain. First, shock waves act to desensitize nerve endings, which often reduces pain immediately.
Second, and often most importantly, shock waves cause controlled microtrauma (microscopic damage) to tissues, encouraging the body to respond by increasing blood circulation and metabolism in the affected area. This will activate and accelerate the body's own healing response. Shockwaves can also “break down” disorganized tissue and calcifications. There is a significant amount of evidence supporting the use of shock wave therapy in many common conditions.
For more information about your specific condition, use the links above. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) broadly supports the use of shockwave therapy for tendon problems. NICE provides country-level guidance and advice to improve health and social care both in the NHS and in private practice. It provides evidence-based recommendations to guide best practices in healthcare. NICE has developed guidelines for the use of shock waves in the treatment of Achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis and calcific tendinopathy.
Shockwave therapy is designed to treat persistent tendon problems that don't get better. Tendons, compared to muscles, for example, have a relatively low blood supply, so it's not uncommon for them to take several months, even years, to improve. Shockwave can accelerate this healing process and bring patients back to normality. This depends on the condition being treated, but at Complete Physio, we believe that shockwave therapy complements physical therapy and rehabilitation.
Shockwave therapy works most effectively as part of a complete treatment and rehabilitation program. Any biomechanical issue (such as posture, alignment, gait, running style, muscle length, and strength) that caused a problem must be addressed anyway for the best long-term results. The treating doctor will prescribe an exercise program to complement the effects of the shock wave. Shock wave treatment has a cumulative effect on injured tissue.
Research shows that patients should have a minimum of three treatment sessions over a three-week period. It's not unusual for more than three sessions to be required, but this is decided based on needs based on your response to treatment. At Complete, we believe that the combination of shock wave therapy and rehabilitation exercise is key to treating most tendon conditions in the upper and lower extremities. Shockwave therapy is designed to create a new healing process in the tissue and therefore has to deliver a certain amount of energy to the injured area.
Basically, this causes microtrauma to the tissue, so the treatment is likely to cause some discomfort or pain at the site of the injury. Your doctor controls the intensity of the treatment and will communicate with you throughout the treatment to adjust the intensity accordingly. After the shockwave session, you will be able to move your body part with normality. Many of our patients feel a significant reduction in pain after shock wave treatment.
However, usually 2 to 4 hours after the session, they experience some temporary pain and tenderness in the area. This rarely lasts longer than 24 hours and is a normal reaction to shockwave therapy. In most patients, this will not limit normal daily activities. Based on our own experience and studies on shockwave therapy, most patients will feel a significant clinical benefit in their pain 6 to 8 weeks after treatment.
Studies show that this improvement in pain lasts for months and even years after the last shockwave session ends (Moya, et al.). In some people, we've seen benefits come much earlier, but the answer varies. We have three clinics specializing in shockwaves: one in Fulham Road (Chelsea), another in the City of London, on Bury Street (next to Gherkin), and our clinic in Angel. Shockwave is a non-invasive and safe treatment modality with very few side effects.
Your physical therapist will discuss these issues with you before performing the procedure. Yes, shock wave therapy is very safe. However, it is essential that you go to a specialized and specialized clinic where doctors have extensive experience using shock wave therapy to treat tendon pain. It is recommended that you refrain from doing any activity that puts pressure on the treated area for 24 hours after a shockwave session, even if you don't you feel pain after treatment.
For example, if you have received shock waves for Achilles tendon pain, we strongly recommend that you do not run for 24 hours after each treatment. After a shock wave treatment, your physical therapist will recommend that you do not take any anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen, as it may decrease the effect of the treatment. The shock wave stimulates a new healing response, that is, it is a pro-inflammatory treatment, so we don't want to inhibit this process. If you feel any discomfort after treatment, we recommend that you avoid activities that aggravate the pain and that you can take paracetamol. In recent years, due to growing clinical evidence supporting the efficacy of shockwave therapy, major health insurance companies will pay for you to have at least three shockwave sessions at one of our specialized centers.
If you have private health insurance, this treatment may not cover your specific condition, always check with your insurance company or talk to your treating doctor first. Michael has gained vast experience evaluating and treating a wide variety of musculoskeletal conditions while working at large university hospitals in Essex and London. Shockwave therapy is an excellent complement to physical therapy when there are no benefits or in conjunction with an at-home program. Shockwave therapy represents an innovative method for treating various musculoskeletal diseases, especially when other conservative therapeutic methods have failed.