A Guide On Shockwave Therapy
Are you suffering from a lingering injury or pain caused by an illness? You may not need pain killers or invasive surgery to manage your condition. Instead, shockwave therapy can help you reduce the pain and improve mobility by triggering the body to heal itself.
What Is Shockwave Therapy?
Shockwave therapy is a treatment approach used in physiotherapy. Typically, shockwave therapy involves creating a series of low-energy acoustic wave pulsations and applying them to an injured area. The primary outcomes of shockwave therapy are faster pain relief and mobility restoration.
Treatment Conditions
Shockwave therapy can treat the following medical conditions:
- Muscular pain
- Bursitis
- Calcific tendinosis or rotator cuff muscles on shoulders
- Heel spurs and Achilles tendonitis
- Patellar tendonitis
- Shin splints and iliotibial band friction syndrome
- Tennis and golfer elbow
Shockwave Therapy Process
There are three main steps in shockwave therapy. Firstly, the therapist locates the treatment area using the palpation method for precision. Then, the practitioner applies sufficient gel to the identified spot. This gel helps in transferring the acoustic waves effectively. Finally, a shockwave applicator applies the therapy by pushing it against the treatment area.
The treatment begins with a physiotherapist assessing whether you are suitable to undergo shockwave therapy. Ordinarily, the medical professional will educate you about your condition, the treatment process and what you can do in addition to shockwave therapy. The duration of the treatment may vary depending on the medical condition being treated. In many cases each treatment session only lasts a few minutes, but you may need to return several times to get the results that you are looking for.
Benefits of Shockwave Therapy
There are several benefits of undergoing shockwave therapy. Essentially, the method is a non-invasive alternative to manage chronic pain on the shoulders, knee, elbow, and back. There is no surgery or medication. In addition, shockwave therapy is applicable in diverse fields such as orthopedics, physiotherapy, urology, and sports medicine. Moreover, there are limited side effects, other than some tenderness or swelling for the few days after the procedure. However, shockwave therapy is not ideal for people who have a nerve disorder or bone conditions or those who are using blood-thinning medication. Thus, you should make a full disclosure of your medical conditions when consulting your doctor.
Shockwave therapy is a cost-effective and non-invasive method for managing body pain. Engage a physiotherapist to explore the full benefits of this alternative pain treatment process.