The pain and injuries caused by bone or soft tissue issues can be extremely difficult to treat and can cause an abundance of anxiety and stress.
These ailments can negatively impact your lifestyle and result in you being unable to exercise or perform things you like.
It is possible that you will need to regularly take pain medication but it’s not always able to ease your pain or discomfort and could result in negative side negative effects. Sometimes, surgery might appear as the only option, but it’s difficult and comes with risks.
Shockwave therapy near me is an ingenuous treatment that targets particular pain that is present in joints, bones muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It’s a non-invasive therapy that is available on an outpatient basis. It can provide substantial or complete relief from discomfort for the vast majority of people.
What is the shockwave therapy?
Shockwave therapy can also be referred to also as Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) or Radial Shockwave Therapy (RSWT).
It’s not new however its application to treat muscle and joint pain is a relatively recent innovation. The therapy was initially created to aid urologists in treating kidney stones with minimal surgery in the mid-90s. Today, it’s being utilized to treat many muscle-skeletal issues.
Numerous research papers have shown that it is effective in treating issues like heel pain that is caused by plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinopathy.
There aren’t any known 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 with shockwaves for the relief of musculoskeletal pain in clinics and hospital settings across the UK.
What are the conditions that shockwave therapy is applied to?
Shockwave therapy can be beneficial for those suffering from painful soft tissue (muscle ligaments, tendons, and muscles) or joint and bone issues. It can aid patients suffering from overuse or sports injuries, and also benefit those who are undergoing physiotherapy to treat many different problems.
The majority of times the use of shockwave therapy to treat the following ailments:
Achilles tendinopathy (pain in the tendon that connects foot’s back to the muscles of the calf)
Plantar fasciitis (pain on the lower part of the feet)
Tennis elbow (pain on the outside of your elbow)
It is also known as golfers are prone to elbow pain (pain on the inside of elbow)
Patellofemoral syndrome (runner’s knee)
Iliotibial band Syndrome, or ITBS (pain that runs to an outside hip to the thigh’s outer edge up to beyond the knee’s outside (caused by cycling and running)
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (shin splints)
Bony spurs of the heel
What is the effect of shockwave therapy?
Shockwave therapy is applied directly to the skin which protects the affected area. This type of pain relief therapy makes use of low energy sound, also called acoustic waves, instead of electrical waves.
The sound waves that are generated by these sound waves are “radial in their shape and behavior. They are able to easily penetrate the skin and, once they do, they emit shockwaves throughout the muscles, joint or tendon. It is therefore a specific type of therapythat only treats those areas that have been damaged or injured.
If you choose to undergo the treatment with shockwaves the therapist will employ an instrument that is held in the hand and linked to a machine which converts the compressed air in to sound waves. They’ll apply mild pressure and then move the device over the region that needs treatment. The gel that is used for ultrasound is placed on the skin prior to the procedure to aid in transmitting the shockwaves to the skin.
The sound waves trigger circulation of blood to the region which causes the area to experience a tiny amount of localized inflammation. Following treatment the body begins to heal the inflammation naturally and, as a result it stimulates the healing and regeneration of cells. The tissues that have been injured or damaged begin to heal, causing the pain and discomfort to decrease.
If you’ve got scar tissue in the region which is causing your pain, shockwave therapy may also aid in the breakdown of this fibrous and thick tissue. Scar tissue is a cause of immobility for the tissues surrounding it because in contrast to normal tissues it’s extremely elastic. The breaking down of it using sound waves aids in improving mobility and ease of discomfort.
Can shockwave therapy be used by anyone?
Before you undergo the treatment you want, your physician will obtain a complete medical history of you to determine if you are suitable to undergo shockwave therapy.
Shockwave therapy is a secure and effective treatment when it is administered in a professional environment, however, there are situations where 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 medication like aspirin (75mg per 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 region that requires treatment
There are plates or pins made of metal in the region that require attention.
You’ve had an injection of steroids to treat the same issue in the past 12 weeks.
You’ve tried any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers , such as ibuprofen or ibuprofen in the past two weeks.
Your doctor 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?
The Shockwave Therapy is an 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 tiny pulses against their skin. Your doctor might be able to alter the method they use to operate the device for shockwaves if the discomfort is severe.
Each session is only just a few minutes, which means the majority of patients can endure the level of discomfort that can be caused from shockwaves.
If you’re going to the treatment, it’s better to wear loose clothes that you are able to move comfortably in, as it makes you feel more comfortable. In the event of pain, depending on where it is, you might be lying on your side and it’s much more comfortable to do this in a relaxed clothes.
How long will it take to recuperate after the treatment with shockwaves?
When your treatment is complete and you’re at home to go back to work and routine daily activities immediately. It is recommended to avoid intense activities like doing tennis or running for the first 48-hours following treatment.
If you experience any discomfort, use paracetamol, if you’re capable of it to do so, but you shouldn’t take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkiller like ibuprofen because it can interfere with any treatment that is ineffective.
In the following days after the treatment with shockwaves, you might notice redness and swelling in the area you have treated. It can cause your pain to get more severe, however this is an indication of your healing process It is normal and will fade within a few days or.
How long will it take for shockwave therapy to begin to work?
The majority of people require 3 sessions for shockwave therapy every week at intervals prior to a significant reduction in pain is observed. Some conditions may require five treatments. Your physician will be able to talk about your specific case and expectations with you.
Once your treatment is complete Your doctor will typically schedule a follow-up appointment to check how you’re getting on.