Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive, non-surgical procedure that is effective in the treatment of ongoing tendon problems. Also known as Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy, or EWST, it uses the power of high energy sound waves to target the painful tendon tissue, accelerating healing and relieving pain.
This treatment can be offered for:
- Plantarfascitis (foot)
- Achilles tendinopathy (ankle)
- Patella tendinopathy (knee)
- Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (hip)
- Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
- Calcific tendonitis in the shoulder
Shockwave therapy is a completely safe and effective treatment for damaged tendon tissues. The therapy is supported by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and is used within the NHS. A qualified therapists will ensure the treatment is predominantly risk-free, as well as being free from any side effects.
The treatment process involves placing gel on the skin over the painful tendon and the shockwave probe is then gently pressed on to the affected area. The sound wave impulses are transmitted through the skin as a ‘shockwave’, which spreads into the painful tendon as an aspherical ‘radial’ wave. Shockwaves are mechanical and not electric. This process increases blood circulation which flows to the injured area. In turn, this reduces the level of pain and accelerates healing by stimulating cell regeneration. The shockwaves also create a microtrauma to the tendon which triggers an acute healing response again.
The number of treatments required depends on the condition being treated, however, general guidance is that 3 to 6 treatments will help to relieve the pain and inflammation as well as encourage your body, and damaged tendon tissues. There is a lot of evidence supporting shockwave for the above conditions and it is supported by NICE.