Shockwave Therapy Explained: What It Treats and Who It’s For
If you have been struggling with nagging muscle or tendon pain that does not seem to get better over time, let’s talk a bit about shockwave therapy. Shockwave utilizes targeted sound waves to penetrate deep into the fascial layer to stimulate the body’s natural healing.
For patients that may be dealing with chronic sports injuries or soft-tissue pain, shockwave would likely be a great addition to a comprehensive treatment plan.
What is Shockwave Therapy?
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a non-invasive treatment that provides deep fascial penetration using sound waves to the painful or injured regions.
The sound waves are targeted at specific tissues to allow for healing at the cellular level. Depending on the specifics of the injuries, shockwave therapy is beneficial in bringing inflammation to the area for accelerated healing, improving mobility, breaking down scar tissue from chronic injury, among other things.
How Does Shockwave Therapy Feel?
The machine includes a handheld device that is placed on the injured area, using sound wave impulses that are delivered to the region.
The treatment is typically described as rapid pulsations or pressure, which can feel more intense over a sensitive area.
The treatment intensity can be modified based on the comfort level of the patient. Each session is typically about a minute long, due to the speed of the machine. However, treatment length and number of treatments vary depending on the injury and how each patient responds.
Downtime Following Shockwave Therapy Session
The downtime following shockwave therapy is usually very minimal. Some patients may notice some soreness, slight swelling, or redness to the area.
There should be at least one day in between treatment sessions to allow for tissue repair and healing from the microtraumas initiated by the shockwave.
As far as activity goes following shockwave, your provider will give instructions on when it is beneficial for you to return to exercise or any activity that requires exertion.
How Quickly Should You Notice Results from Shockwave Therapy?
Each patient has a different response time to treatment. Some may experience results after the initial treatment, while others may notice changes after the first few weeks.
Shockwave therapy works to stimulate the healing response at the cellular level, therefore results often continue to progress after a series of treatments are completed.
The specific number of treatments depends on exactly what the injuries are, whether they are acute or chronic, how severe the issue is, the age and health of the patient, and whether there are other therapies involved.
While this treatment has been shown to be helpful in treating multiple conditions, it is beneficial to evaluate more than just the region of complaint to get the full picture and identify a different possible mechanism of injury. For example, shoulder pain could be due to lack of proper mobility in the neck. This is why it is important to receive a full history and examination of the primary complaint to see if other therapies such as chiropractic adjustments, corrective exercises, or spinal decompression could help move along the healing process.
The goal is to understand all factors that may be hindering the bodies full capabilities to heal and not just simply address what is hurting in the moment.
At Carpe Diem Chiropractic, we go through full exams to help determine the source of their pain and decide whether shockwave therapy should be a tool that is added to their treatment plan.