Shockwave Therapy is an established and exciting therapy which provides pain relief and healing by stimulating the bodies natural healing process. Shockwave Therapy is a wonderful treatment option for a wide variety of muscular and soft tissue problems in your body, and we are excited to announce that the Penticton Physiotherapy & IMS Clinic will offering Shockwave Therapy to patients in the Penticton area from the middle of January 2024!
What is Shockwave Therapy?
It’s a very common that we hear in our clinic that an individual has an ache that just doesn’t want to go away, or that they have a sports injury which they’re struggling to recover from. Often, you wish there was a way to help ‘jump-start’ the healing process; this is exactly what Shockwave Therapy does.
A shockwave is a low energy acoustic wave, which is applied directly to the patient’s skin via the shockwave machine. The shockwave travels to the injured muscle, tendon or ligament, and the force created by the shockwaves penetrates the injured soft tissues and stimulates the bodies healing process to occur.
Healing occurs by simulating the bodies natural healing response in the following ways:
- By increasing blood circulation to the affected area (also known as hyperaemia)
- Stimulating growth of cells that generate new connective tissues and bone
- By breaking down calcium deposits in muscle tissues (like in shoulder calcification)
- Disperses ‘substance P’, which is a chemical found in injured tissues which causes pain and swelling
- Increases collagen production, essential for healing of damaged muscle tendons and ligaments
What problems can Shockwave Therapy help with?
Because shockwave therapy helps repair damaged muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones, there are a wide variety of conditions it can help to treat. Shockwave therapy is particularly helpful for tendon issues, which naturally don’t have a good blood supply and can heal slowly. The following is a list of conditions commonly treated by Shockwave Therapy:
- Achilles tendinopathy
- Plantar fasciitis
- Shoulder tendinopathy
- Hamstring, gluteal and calf muscles tendinopathy or muscle strain
- Calcific tendonitis (often seen in rotator cuff tendons around the shoulder)
- Patellar tendinosis (‘jumper’s knee’).
- Elbow pain (tennis/ golfer elbow)
- Greater trochanteric pain syndrome/ hip bursitis or tendinopathy
- Medial tibial stress syndrome/ shin splints
- Knee osteoarthritis
- Release of tight muscles and trigger points
What to expect during your treatment
During your appointment, your physiotherapist will assess you to help diagnose the underlying condition, and let you know if Shockwave Therapy is a suitable treatment for you. The application of the Shockwave Therapy takes about 5 minutes, and patients normally have to undergo 3-6 sessions (please note, it is possible further treatment may be needed, depending on your condition and your bodies healing response to treatment).
If needed, we may ask you to change into a pair of shorts or a gown, depending on the area of the body we are treating. It is normal for Shockwave Therapy to feel a little bit uncomfortable (but not really painful) while you are receiving it, but your physiotherapist will adjust the intensity of the treatment as needed to make you as comfortable as possible.
Sometimes, you may find the treated area is a little swollen, or your skin is a little red/ a small bruise may have formed over the area you had treated; this is because we have stimulated the bodies natural healing process, and a small inflammatory response has been evoked; it is considered normal and nothing to worry about, and will resolve quickly.
Alongside receiving Shockwave Therapy, your physiotherapist will also complete other treatments, such as hands-on manual therapy, IMS/ Dry Needling, exercise therapy and other strategies to help resolve your injury.
Please note, Shockwave Therapy is not suitable if you are pregnant, have a malignant tumour, have a ruptured muscle tendon, are less then 18 years old, have received a corticosteroid injection in the last 6 weeks, have a pacemaker inserted, or have a blood clotting disorder/ use blood thinners.
Benefits of Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave Therapy is advantageous because it is non-invasive, and stimulates the bodies pre-existing healing system to help repair hard to treat and long-standing muscle and bone issues. It has been researched extensively and there is a wealth of evidence-based information which has shown it has a very high success rate for stubborn and chronic muscle/ tendon and bone injuries, with minimal side effects. Furthermore, it is a safe and efficient way to solve problems that otherwise may need surgery or steroid injections.
We will be receiving our Shockwave Therapy machine in early to mid January 2024, so please be sure to check with our front desk team while booking your appointment to ensure we can provide Shockwave Therapy to you!
If you would like to book an appointment with one of our physiotherapists, please click this link to be taken to our online booking page, or call us directly at 250-493-1152 to speak with our patient care coordinators!
