Shockwave Therapy (SWT): What Is It and How Does It Treat Musculoskeletal Conditions?

Just as the name suggests, shockwave therapy uses shock waves to treat the injured soft tissue. It is a non-invasive treatment that uses an applicator to deliver direct radial shock waves on the affected area to relieve pain. It is a widely used mode of treatment that is used in sports medicine, chiropractic, physiotherapy, veterinary medicine, and orthopedics.

The beauty of using this treatment is that you are assured of increased mobility and fast pain relief.
Shockwave therapy uses less energy than other treatments used in medical applications making it an ideal treatment for issues with connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments.

If you have tendon issues that never seem to get better with traditional medications, shockwave therapy can do wonders.

How Does Shockwave Therapy Work?

First things first. You will have to undergo an examination that determines whether shockwave therapy is the way to go. When our practitioner determines that you are fit to receive this treatment, and then a gel is applied to the affected area before the treatment begins.

The device has a compressor that controls a fast-moving projectile. The work of the projectile is to transmit energy to generate radial shockwaves to the troubled area. The shockwaves spread through the area, and tissue easily absorbs the waves.

In other words, the device releases an acoustic wave that emits energy to the injured parts. The energy promotes the regeneration of the tendons, bones, and soft tissues.

These acoustic waves released by the applicator interact with tissue causing therapeutic effects such as:

• Increased growth factors
• Stimulation of collagen production
• Improved blood flow
• Release of trigger points that are responsible for pain in the neck, back, limbs, and shoulder
• Decrease pain
• Dissolution of calcified fibroblasts
• Reversal of chronic inflammation

In a nutshell, you will have improved cell growth and tissue repair, and your mobility will be improved.
For you to reap the greatest benefit of shockwave therapy, our chiropractor will use it with manual therapy, training, or other physiotherapy techniques. The treatment typically takes around 10 minutes.

What Can Shockwave Therapy Treat?

As you already know, shockwave therapy can be used to treat a range of musculoskeletal issues. These issues can be categorized as follows:

• Bones – Common conditions in this category can be shin splints and trochanteric pain syndrome
• Tendons – The prevalent tendon issues are painful patellar tendons, Achilles tendons, supraspinatus, and tennis elbow.
• Muscles – Can be used to treat trigger points, hypertonic muscles, and muscle pain
• Connective tissue – It is an excellent treatment for trigger fingers, plantar fasciopathy, and scar tissue.

Benefits of Shockwave Therapy

Some issues take a long time to respond to treatment, and at times they seem not to work. However, shockwave therapy has helped tip the scales in your favour, and you can reap a host of benefits for chronic issues that never seem to go away. Here are some of the benefits:

• No anesthesia is needed before carrying out the procedure
• Non-invasive treatment for chronic pain in your knee, back, shoulder, heel, or elbow
• Limited side effects
• A realistic alternative to medication or surgery
• Treats the cause and not the symptoms
• Fast pain relief usually within a few days
• A fast treatment session typically 10 minutes
• Scientifically proven form of therapy
• Over 80 percent success rate
• No need for painkillers

You can improve your life quality if you decide to come for shockwave therapy to treat various musculoskeletal issues.