Why should I consider Shockwave Therapy?
Shockwave Therapy, the new buzzword in the physiotherapy industry. Chances are that if you are not one for dry needling, your physiotherapist might have suggested shockwave therapy as an alternative treatment. Read more on how it works, what the benefits are, and find out what the excitement is all about.
Although Shockwave therapy has only recently been introduced in physiotherapy practice, it has been around since the early 1980s (Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT), 2021). In physiotherapy, it is mainly used for fast pain relief and mobility restoration. It is therefore the ideal therapy to speed up the recovery process for acute and chronic conditions.
Shockwave therapy makes use of acoustic sound waves with very specific characteristics, producing positive and negative phases. These phases create a direct shockwave force followed by the generation of indirect cavitation and gas bubbles. This effect leads to hematoma formation and focal cell death, which stimulates new bone or tissue formation (Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT), 2021).
As physiotherapists, we mainly use shockwave therapy on musculoskeletal conditions such as:
Tendinopathies, Shin splints, Runner’s knee, Plantar fasciitis, Frozen shoulder, OA of the knee Non-union of long bone fractures.
Shockwave therapy benefits on the above-mentioned conditions
Release of trigger points, Reversal of chronic inflammation, Improved collagen formation (Shockwave Therapy | Shockwave Therapy, 2021), Revascularisation, Reduced muscle tone (Twyford, 2021)
You can expect mild discomfort during your shockwave treatment. Pain experienced during shockwave treatments is often dependent on the level of pain the patient is already experiencing in the area. Luckily the physical shockwave treatments are quick (5-10min), and the intensity of the treatment can be adjusted. It’s common to experience some skin tenderness 2-3hours after the treatment and it is advised that patients refrain from physical activity for the next 48hours. Generally, about 3-5 sessions are needed, although most people experience great pain relief and increased mobility after only one treatment session.
So why Shockwave and/or needling? Evidence shows that both dry needling and shockwave are effective in treating myofascial pain. However, if we had to compare the two, shockwave is definitely a good alternative when dry needling is contraindicated or if you have a needle phobia. Another big bonus is the reduction if patients are unable to handle the effect of dry needling compared to shockwave therapy.
