What is Shockwave Therapy?

A shock wave is an intense, short energy wave that moves faster than the speed of sound.

They are typically characterised by:

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• High positive pressures of more than 100 MPa

• Extremely short rise times             (about 10 microseconds)

• Fast pressure rises                    (less than 10 nanoseconds)

• Narrow effective beams                (2-8mm diameter)

When a pressure wave passes through the human tissue, it produces physiological and therapeutic effects.

How does Shockwave Therapy work?

• Faster and long-term healing.

• Regeneration of the tissue.

• Reverse chronic inflammation that is very common in conditions such as plantar fasciitis.

• Stimulate collagen production, which is a vital substance in natural tissue repair.

• Dissolution of calcium fibroblasts is often part of the problem in chronic shoulder pain.

Can Everyone Be Treated With Shockwave Therapy?

Shockwave Therapy isn't suitable for everyone. If you have a condition on the following list, you are not allowed to have this treatment:

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• Haemophilia/Clotting disorder/Risk of haemorrhage

• Taking anti-coagulant medication, e.g. Warfarin or Rivaroxaban

• Cardiac pacemakers or other cardiac devices

• Unstable heart condition

• Steroid injection to the treatment site in the last 6 weeks

• Pregnant/trying to conceive

• Cancer/tumour at the site of treatment

• Infection at the site of treatment

4-stage therapy

• It is believed that four phases are involved in producing these therapeutic effects.

• Phase one is the direct effect of the shock. Mechanical pressure directly affects the cells in the tissues being targeted for treatment.

• Phase two is the physical-chemical phase which influences the metabolism in the cell, increasing their activity to promote healing.

• Phase three is the chemical phase which may be accompanied by molecular changes and intracellular reactions.

• The last phase, phase four, involves physiological responses to the first three phases.

What could it be used to treat?

• Plantar Fasciitis

• Achilles tendinopathy

• Carpal tunnel syndrome

• Coccydynia

• Hip or Shoulder Bursitis

• Hamstring tendinopathy

• Iliotibial band syndrome

• Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)

• Medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints)

• Myofascial trigger points

• Osgood-Schlatter disease

• Patellar tendinopathy

• Shoulder tendinitis and rotator cuff

What to expect

Sometimes the treatment is a bit painful, but most people can normally tolerate this. If you cannot tolerate it, please let your practitioner know, as the dose can be amended to ensure you are comfortable. It is also normal to feel a little tender on the area that has been treated during your session.

Our team will advise you on how to keep this at a minimum and what activities to avoid directly after your treatment.