What is Shockwave Therapy ?

I am sure you might have heard someone saying to you ‘Oh, you must take shockwave, you will feel better with your pain’ And how many times have you thought about what exactly is shockwave, how is it even effective and does it cause any shocks?

As an MSK physiotherapist at Xcel Health, I treat a lot of clients using this approach and have seen wonderful effects in them. Most of my clients ask me about the mechanism that goes behind this non-invasive method of treatment because they are usually surprised how it really works! 

Today I am going to break it down to you what exactly is shockwave therapy and how will it help you in getting better. 

Shockwave therapy is an advanced treatment that uses acoustic shockwaves (sound waves) to break up soft tissue calcifications, enhance collagen synthesis, release growth factors, and stimulate your body’s healing process to improve pain and help you stay active. 

Numerous research studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of shockwave therapy in reducing pain and improving functional abilities and quality of life for patients with various tendon injuries, including plantar fasciitis, elbow tendinopathy, achilles tendinopathy, and rotator cuff tendinopathy; as well as axial pain, including trapezius spasm pain, mechanical neck pain, low back pain, as well as coccydynia. 

Moreover, it is an evidence-based practice which has been approved by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence). 

Does it hurt?

Shockwave therapy is pain free for most people. Majority of patients describe it as a little uncomfortable but not really painful. The part of your body we are treating matters as well; areas over the hip and ankle, which has less skin and muscle, may be more sensitive than areas like the calves, which have more muscle layer on them. 

We tailor the course of care to the individual pain threshold of each patient. Initially, we will start the bar pressure at a low level and increase it gradually until we reach a comfortable level and then maintain it for 2000 pulses. The entire procedure takes about fifteen minutes. Depending on symptoms and diagnosis, each individual responds differently but most patients see benefits in just few treatment sessions spaced appropriately to achieve full recovery and long-term symptom relief.  

Is shockwave therapy suitable for everyone?

Before having the treatment, your physiotherapist will take a full medical history from you to assess your suitability for shockwave. It is a safe and highly effective treatment, but there are certain conditions where it isn’t advised, such as, 

- If you have a blood clotting disorder

- If you have or have had any kind of bone cancer

- If you have an infection in the area that needs treatment

- If you have metal implants or plates in the area that needs treatment

When to see us at Xcel Health?

Well, if you are someone who suffers from any kind of muscle or tendon related pain that is not going away despite trying all conventional treatment options, you can come to us right away for a consultation and see if shockwave is probably the method of treatment that you are missing out on!

You can schedule your appointment easily by completing our web form or by giving us a ring at 01795 60 60 66