What is Shockwave Therapy?
Radial Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT), or Shockwave therapy, is a cutting-edge treatment that uses acoustic shockwaves to help your body heal, improve chronic pain, increase collagen production, release growth factors, and thus get you back on your feet. Conservative therapies like physiotherapy, activity modification, ice, orthotics, opioids, and steroid injections are used, but if they are not working, symptoms of chronic pain are treated at 3-6 months. At Physiofitguru clinic, we have been using the Shockwave Pro 1000 on numerous patients who require chronic pain treatment and quick recovery without undergoing a surgical operation.
Shockwave therapy treatment may cause an inflammatory (healing) response in the tissue being treated. The body reacts by stimulating blood flow and metabolism in the area of impact, thereby accelerating the natural healing process for the body. Chronic diseases are lowered in sensitivity and cause discomfort because of shockwaves overstimulating nerves. A projectile is shot at 80-90 kph by compressed air through a guiding tube to a metal applicator applied to the skin of the patient. The kinetic energy is converted to a radial shock wave. Shockwave therapy is more effective when used in conjunction with a thorough rehab treatment program to treat the applicator and create pressure waves in the tissue through a depth of 4 to 5 cm.
The advantages of Shockwave Therapy:
Effective pain relief: Shock wave therapy is effective in relieving pain. The high-energy acoustic waves are able to penetrate deeply and have an anti-inflammatory effect, relieving pain rapidly.
Stimulation of blood circulation: Shock waves can stimulate blood circulation. This is crucial to healing and regeneration of tissues.
Healing: Shock wave therapy stimulates healing by improving the body’s regeneration ability and metabolism, promoting the faster repair of damaged tissues.
Non-invasive treatment: Shock wave therapy is a light treatment compared with invasive treatments. It doesn’t need an operation, reduces the chance of issues and speeds up the recuperation time.
What is the purpose of Shockwave Therapy?
Shockwave Therapy is a non-surgical pain therapy that increases the circulation of blood, and thus accelerates the healing of chronic musculoskeletal pain in bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Shockwave therapy is now commonly used in physical therapy to treat a variety of painful conditions such as:
Conditions Commonly Treated with Shockwave Therapy
Foot and Lower Limb Conditions
- Plantar Fasciitis (Heel Pain)
- Achilles Tendinitis
- Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)
- IT Band Stiffness
- Stress Fractures
Hip Conditions
- Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (Lateral Hip Pain)
Knee Conditions
- Patellar Tendinopathy (Jumper’s Knee)
- Osteoarthritis of the Knee
Shoulder Conditions
- Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
- Calcific Shoulder Tendinopathy
- Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder
Elbow Conditions
- Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Muscle and Tendon Injuries
- Hamstring Injuries
- Proximal Hamstring Tendinitis
- Muscle Strains
- Ligament Strains
- Myofascial Trigger Points
Bone and Joint Conditions
- Fracture Nonunion (Delayed Bone Healing)
- Osteoarthritis of the Hip
- Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder
Neurological Conditions
Shockwave Therapy may also help manage increased muscle tone associated with:
- Stroke
- Brain Injury
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Cerebral Palsy
How long does Shockwave Therapy take and is it safe?
Shockwave therapy has been FDA-approved, and several studies have proven it to be safe and effective in the treatment of a variety of conditions. Our trained therapist at Physiofitguru is able to provide Shockwave therapy in a series of sessions, which are usually scheduled in a week-by-week format. The majority of people experience some improvement after 3-5 treatments that take about 15 minutes in our clinic, and recovery may take from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. The number of sessions required can differ depending on your body’s reaction to treatment and the seriousness of the problem. Shockwave therapy might be combined with other treatment methods, depending on the circumstances, to increase effectiveness. We will develop a treatment plan specific to your needs at Physiofitguru and monitor your progress through treatment.
Your comfort will be assured during treatment. The treatment is non-invasive and includes passing mechanical shockwaves through the skin to the afflicted area using a hand-held probe. The shockwaves are not electrical, but rather low-energy sound waves that can be heard.
At Physiofitguru, most people feel some pain or discomfort during the procedure, but it subsides immediately after the session. You will be asked how much pain you have during the treatment, and we will try to tailor the treatment to help manage it. Normal activities should be able to be resumed following Shockwave Therapy sessions. Shockwaves can reproduce the effects that occur after trauma, stimulating tissue and bone regeneration by increasing blood flow and metabolism.
Shockwave Therapy may not be suitable for some people, including those with:
- Cardiac pacemaker or another cardiac device
- Unstable heart condition
- Treatment over air-filled tissue (lung, gut)
- Pregnancy
- Cancer
- Presence of local tumor or infection
- Less than six weeks since local corticosteroid injection
- Age less than 18 (except for patients diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter disease)
- Treatment of pre-ruptured tendons
- Blood-clotting disorders, including local thrombosis
At Physiofitguru in Mulund, Mumbai, we have freed a lot of individuals from chronic pain by helping them rediscover life without discomfort again by providing them with a non-surgical bridge between the limitations of conventional physiotherapy treatments and the last resort of having surgery by using the innovative Shockwave Pro 1000 to dampen pain.