Injuries to sports that are painful or caused by bone or soft tissue problems can be very debilitating and difficult to manage , and create an abundance of anxiety and stress.
These issues can affect your quality of life and result in you being unable to exercise or engage in things you like.
There is a chance that you’ll need to use a regular pain reliever that may not alleviate your discomfort and pain and could lead to the development of adverse negative effects. Sometimes, surgery may appear to be the only option. This is difficult and comes with risks.
Shockwave therapy is an ingenuous treatment that targets particular pain that is present in joints, bones muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It’s a non-invasive procedure that is available on an outpatient basis. It can provide an effective or complete relief of pain for the majority of people.
What is the shockwave therapy?
Shockwave therapy can also be referred to by the name of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) or Radial Shockwave Therapy (RSWT).
It’s not new however its application in the treatment of muscles and joints that are painful is relatively new. Shockwave therapy was first designed to assist urologists in treating kidney stones without surgery, in the latter part of the 1990s. It’s now being used successfully to treat many muscular and skeletal disorders.
Numerous scientific studies have proven that it is effective in treating issues like heel pain that is caused by plantar fasciitis as well as Achilles tendinopathy.
There are no reported adverse effects associated with using shockwave therapy. There is no known side effects. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) NICE which provides guidelines, advice and other information on healthcare providers, is acquiesces the treatment using shockwaves to provide the relief of musculoskeletal pain in clinics and hospital settings across the UK.
What are the conditions that shockwave therapy near me is applied to?
Shockwave therapy is helpful for those suffering from painful soft tissue (muscle ligaments, tendons, and muscles) or bone and joint conditions. The therapy is beneficial for those suffering from sports or overuse injuries. It can also help patients who undergo physiotherapy for various problems.
The majority of times the use of shockwave therapy to treat these ailments:
Achilles tendinopathy (pain in the tendon that connects heel to the muscles of the calf)
Plantar fasciitis (pain on the lower part of your foot)
Tennis elbow (pain on the outside of your elbow)
It is also known as golfers have elbow (pain on the inside of your elbow)
Patellofemoral syndrome (runner’s knee)
Iliotibial band Syndrome, or ITBS (pain that extends across an outside hip all the way down the thigh’s outside up to on the inside of your knee (caused by cycling or running)
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (shin splints)
Bony spurs of the heel
How can shockwave therapy be effective?
Shockwave therapy is injected directly to the skin, which is a part of the area affected. This type of pain relief therapy makes use of low energy sound, also called acoustic waves, instead of electrical waves.
These sound waves are “radial in their shape and behavior. They are able to easily penetrate the skin and, once there, they create an electric shockwave through the affected tendon, joint, or muscle. It is therefore a specific type of treatment, focusing on those areas that have been damaged or injured.
If you choose to undergo shockwave therapy the therapist will employ an electronic device that can be held by hand linked to a machine which transforms the compressed air in to sound waves. They’ll apply a mild pressure and then move the device over the region that needs treatment. The gel for ultrasound is applied to the skin prior to treatment to aid in transmitting the shockwaves to the skin.
The sound waves trigger circulation of blood to the region as well as causing some minor localized inflammation. After treatment the body works to heal the inflammation naturally and, in the process it stimulates the regeneration and repair of cells. Injured or damaged tissues begin to heal and cause the pain and discomfort to decrease.
If you’ve got scar tissue in the region that is causing pain, shockwave therapy may aid in breaking down the fibrous, thick tissue. Scar tissue is a cause of immobility for the tissues surrounding it because different from normal tissue, it’s very flexible. By breaking it down with sound waves aids in improving mobility and ease of discomfort.
Does shockwave therapy work for anyone?
Before you undergo treatments, your doctor will obtain a complete medical history to determine if you are suitable for treatment using shockwaves.
Shockwave therapy can be a safe and effective treatment when it is administered in a professional environment, however there are instances when it’s not recommended. This kind of treatment isn’t appropriate for:
If you suffer from a blood clotting disorder, and/or you take blood thinners or anticoagulant medicines like aspirin (75mg every day) or warfarin
You may have a neuro-related disorder.
You’re pregnant
You’ve had any type of bone cancer
You are suffering from an infection in your area that requires treatment
There are plates or pins made of metal in the region that require attention.
You’ve had an injection of steroid to treat the same issue in the past 12 weeks.
You’ve used any painkillers that are non-steroidal such as ibuprofen, for any reason in the past two weeks.
The expert you consult will be able to recommend the most effective course of action in the event that any of the above are applicable to you.
Does shockwave therapy cause pain?
It is non-invasive and non-surgical treatment. However, there may be a slight discomfort or pain in your region of treatment during the process. The majority of patients describe it as feeling like small , pulsing pulses on the skin. Your doctor could be able adjust the method they use to operate the device for shockwaves if the discomfort is severe.
Each session is only about a minute, meaning the majority of patients can manage the discomfort that can be caused from shockwaves.
If you’re going to your appointment, it’s best to wear loose clothes that you are able to move comfortably in, as it can make you more comfortable. In the event of pain, depending on where it is located, you could be lying on your side and it’s much simpler to lay on your back in a relaxed clothes.
How long will it take to heal after the treatment with shockwaves?
When your treatment is complete after which you’ll be at home to resume work and routine daily activities immediately. It is recommended to avoid intense activities like the running track or tennis during the first 48 hours following treatment.
If you are experiencing any discomfort, use paracetamol, if you’re capable of it to do so, but you shouldn’t take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkiller, such as ibuprofen because it can interfere with any treatment that is ineffective.
In the following days after the treatment with shockwaves, you might feel redness and swelling around the area you have treated. This may make your pain appear to be more severe, however this is an indication of healing it is totally normal and will fade within a few days or.
How quickly will shockwave therapy begin to work?
The majority of people require 3 sessions for shockwave therapy every week at intervals before any significant relief from pain is observed. Some conditions may require five treatments. Your physician can discuss your specific case and expectations with you.
Once your treatment is complete the doctor will normally schedule a follow-up appointment to assess how you’re doing on.
