IS SHOCKWAVE THERAPY FOR YOU?

Do you have a tendonitis?

Are you suffering from plantar fasciitis? Achilles tendonitis?

Have you tried Shockwave Therapy?

Shockwave therapy machines pass short, intense energy sound waves, travelling faster than the speed of sound, into affected tissues.

This causes micro-trauma, increases blood flow and stimulates an acute inflammatory response which aids the healing process.

Shockwave therapy is widely used in physiotherapy, podiatry, sports medicine, urology and orthopaedics to provide fast pain relief and increased mobility. ESWT (Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy) is increasingly used as a treatment for health problems such as erectile dysfunction, slow-healing wounds, cellulite and neurological conditions.

Shockwave therapy has both NICE guidance and FDA approval for a large number of indications. If delivered by qualified therapists, the treatment is largely risk and side-effect-free, making it a safe treatment choice for musculoskeletal conditions and chronic pain. Shockwave therapy is a highly trusted treatment modality, and is used by hundreds of private clinics and NHS hospitals across the UK.

The Science:

A shock wave is an intense, short energy wave that moves faster than the speed of sound.

They are typically characterised by:

High positive pressures of more than 100 MPa

Extremely short rise times (about 10 microseconds)

Fast pressure rises (less than 10 nanoseconds)

Narrow effective beams (2-8mm diameter) When a pressure wave passes through the human tissue, it produces physiological and therapeutic effects.

It is believed that four phases are involved in producing these therapeutic effects.

1) Phase one is the direct effect of the shock. Mechanical pressure directly affects the cells in the tissues being targeted for treatment.

2) Phase two is the physical-chemical phase which influences the metabolism in the cell, increasing their activity to promote healing.

3) Phase three is the chemical phase which may be accompanied by molecular changes and intracellular reactions.

4) The last phase, phase four, involves physiological responses to the first three phases.

How could Shockwave Therapy Work?

Faster and long-term healing.

Regeneration of the tissue.

Reverse chronic inflammation that is very common in conditions such as plantar fasciitis.

Stimulate collagen production, which is a vital substance in natural tissue repair.

Dissolution of calcium fibroblasts which are often part of the problem in chronic shoulder pain.

What could it be used to treat?

Plantar Fasciitis

Achilles tendinopathy

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Coccydynia

Hip or Shoulder Bursitis

Hamstring tendinopathy

Iliotibial band syndrome

Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)

Medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints)

Myofascial trigger points

Osgood-Schlatter disease

Patellar tendinopathy

Shoulder tendinitis & rotator cuff.

Can Everyone Be Treated With Shockwave Therapy?

Shockwave Therapy isn't suitable for everyone. If you have a condition on the following list you are not allowed to have this treatment:

Haemophilia / Clotting disorder / Risk of haemorrhage

Taking Anti-coagulant medication, eg. Warfarin or Rivaroxaban

Cardiac pacemaker or other cardiac devices

Unstable heart condition

Steroid injection to the treatment site in the last 6 weeks.

Cancer Pregnant / Trying to conceive

Tumour at the site of treatment Infection at site of treatment.

Sometimes the treatment is a bit painful, but most people can normally tolerate this. If you cannot tolerate it, please let your practitioner know, as the dose can be amended to ensure you are comfortable. It is also normal to feel a little tender on the area that has been treated during your session. Our team at Sammy Margo Physiotherapy will advise you on how to keep this at a minimum and what activities to avoid directly after your treatment.

We don't charge extra fro Shockwave as it's included in our treatments

Call us now for more information on 020 7435 4910