What is Shockwave Therapy?
January 2024 by Steven
If you’re suffering from a painful condition and haven’t had success with conventional treatments, shockwave therapy could be the answer. This NICE-approved treatment has a high success rate and is a great alternative if you don’t want to go down the surgery route.
At Midlands Shockwave & Physiotherapy Clinic, we are specialists in shockwave therapy, and we’ve put together this guide to help you determine if the treatment may be right for you. We’ve tried to answer the most common questions but do get in touch if you’re still unsure.
What is shockwave therapy?
Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive treatment for painful disorders of the joints, tendons, ligaments, bones and muscles. It involves delivering low-energy sound waves through the skin to the injured tissue to stimulate blood flow and cell regeneration, and speed up healing.
Shockwave therapy is also commonly called extracorporeal shockwave therapy or ESWT.
How does shockwave therapy work?
During shockwave therapy, a therapist places a handheld probe (which is attached to a shockwave machine) against the skin to deliver pulses of sound waves to the injured tissue.
These sound waves are directly targeted at the injured tissue to stimulate a response and encourage blood flow to the area. This increase in blood flow speeds up the body’s natural healing process and enables the damaged tissue to start repairing itself. As the injured area starts to heal, you should notice a significant reduction in pain and improvement in function.
What is shockwave therapy used for?
NICE has endorsed the use of shockwave therapy for the following conditions:
- Plantar fasciitis
- Achilles tendinopathy
- Tennis elbow/golfer’s elbow
- Patellar tendonitis
- Trochanteric bursitis
- Calcific tendonitis of the shoulder
- Shin splints
Shockwave therapy can also be used on acupuncture points and myofascial trigger points.
What happens during shockwave therapy?
To get shockwave therapy, you will go into a clinic for 3–6 sessions. Each treatment takes about 5–10 minutes to administer. During your first appointment, you will have a consultation and a full objective assessment with a therapist to check the treatment is suitable for you.
The therapist will ask you to lie on the treatment table, perhaps with the affected area raised on a pillow if appropriate. They will apply a gel to the skin around the injured area. Then the therapist will place a handheld probe on the skin (the probe is attached to a shockwave machine) and will keep it there as the shockwaves are administered to the injured tissue.
Is shockwave painful?
Shockwave therapy can be slightly uncomfortable when it’s being administered. However, it shouldn’t be too painful. The discomfort just means that the injured area is responding, which is a good thing.
Also, just to clarify, the shockwaves are not electric, so you will not experience an electric shock. They are low-energy sound waves – what you will feel is more an intense throbbing.
Shockwave side effects
You may experience mild side effects for up to a week following a shockwave therapy session. These include redness, soreness, bruising, swelling, numbness and tingling.
How long does shockwave therapy take to work?
For most patients, it takes 3–6 sessions of shockwave to see the full benefits. However, this is different for everybody and it really depends on how your body responds to the treatment.
Get started with shockwave therapy today
Ready to try shockwave therapy and finally get relief from your pain? Contact us at Midlands Shockwave & Physiotherapy Clinic to book your first session or find out more.