Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy, or extracorporeal shockwave therapy, is a treatment for musculoskeletal problems around the body. It is a hand held device that is applied to the body with some gel. Acoustic waves are made by the device that travels into the tissue. The pulses are carried out towards the injured area which can be a little uncomfortable when it first starts. Very quickly your body will get used to it and around 2,000 shocks over a few minutes are administered.
What is Shockwave Therapy used to treat?
Both plantar fasciitis and achilles tendinopathy are common sports injuries. Shockwave therapy is very effective for both of these conditions. The shockwave therapy encourages blood flow and inflammation to the area to help with speeding up recovery.
This treatment is non-invasive so it is very safe and has minimal chance of side effects. This is very useful for most sports injuries and of course requires no recovery time as does surgery.
How many sessions of shockwave therapy are required?
Standard sessions are normally booked at one session per week for three weeks, most people feel the benefits within six weeks.
Occasionally further sessions may be suggested.
Recovery following shockwave therapy
You should avoid taking antiinflammatory medication while receiving shockwave therapy treatment as it may reduce the efficacy. After a shockwave session it usually isn’t painful however some people feel a slight bruised sensation for a couple of days.
Frequently asked questions
Shockwave therapy is used for lots of soft tissue injuries around the body but in the foot this is very good for plantar fasciitis and achilles tendinopathy.
Shockwave therapy has an excellent success rate of up to 84%
After shockwave, don’t take any antiinflammatory tablets as this may reduce the efficacy of the treatment. Also avoid high impact activities for at least a few days.