Pain from tendon injuries can be debilitating. It causes discomfort and tiredness and can prevent you from doing the things you enjoy. Have you heard about Shockwave Therapy and how it is used as a safe and effective treatment for tendon pain?
Shockwave therapy – also called Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (or ESWT) is a safe, effective way of treating pain and speeding up the natural healing process. It is non-invasive and requires no medication.
Treatments are fast – usually around five minutes – and the results are clinically-proven. All around the world, Shockwave Therapy is being used as an alterative to surgery in treating tendon injuries.
How does Shockwave Therapy work?
Using a hand-held device, shockwaves are passed through the skin to the injured area. The shockwaves are audible, low-energy sound waves that work by increasing blood flow to the injury site and speeding up the body’s own healing process.
It can be helpful to think of the energy created during Shockwave therapy as being like a Jacuzzi. In the same way that bubbles generated outside of the body can be targeted at particular areas of the body to relieve pain, so the shockwave machine creates mechanical pressure pulses that are delivered in a wave to the painful area.
Shockwave machines can deliver a narrow wave, which focuses the treatment on a highly targeted area or a wider wave for treatment of a broader area. Focused waves achieve greater pressure and depth, making them ideal for joint-related problems. Wider saves are generally used for treating soft tissue related pain.
What should I expect?
- The treatment will be provided by a trained practitioner, using an authorized shockwave therapy device.
- You will be asked to lie on your front with your legs supported by a pillow.
- The clinician will put some ultrasound gel on the injured area and then place the hand piece of the device on the gel.
- The ESWT is delivered using this hand piece – it delivers compressed air pulses through the ultrasound gel.
- Each treatment will take approximately five minutes.
Does Shockwave therapy hurt?
You are likely to experience some pain or discomfort during the treatment. The practitioner will ask you how much pain your experiencing and will adjust the treatment if necessary.
Following the treatment, you may experience some pain, redness, bruising, swelling and numbness to the area but these should subside within a week.
There is a small risk of tendon rupture or ligament rupture and damage to the soft tissue, but most patients find the treatment helps to relieve their symptoms.
After the treatment you will be able to get up and walk straight away.
If you do experience discomfort following the treatment, you can take over the counter painkillers (such as paracetamol) but you should avoid anti-inflammatory medication (such as ibuprofen) and ice therapy, as these can interfere with the body’s healing process.
You will usually require a course of three to six treatments, one to two weeks apart. You will be asked to complete a questionnaire before your treatment starts, after three months and again one year after your treatment.
What is it used for?
Shockwave Therapy is used to treat a broad range of conditions, including:
- neck pain
- shoulder pain,
- back pain
- elbow pain
- hand pain
- hip pain
- hamstring pain
- knee pain
- Osgood Schalter Disease
- Achilles pain, and
- heal pain
It offers a fast, effective, clinically-proven way to tackle pain and get back to doing the things you love.
