Shockwave Information

How it works

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy generates acoustic pressure waves that have an effect on soft tissue to activate the body’s natural healing processes. Examples of these waves in real life are sounds of clapping or thunder. These waves generate cavitations (microscopic gas bubbles) within the target tissue that then collapse and create pressure changes and small jets of liquid to stimulate the surrounding cells to heal or break down damaged tissue and decrease pain.

Benefits of shockwave therapy

• Promotes formation of new blood vessels to increase oxygenation and nutrient delivery
• Activates cells important for tissue repair and recovery including natural growth factors
• Breaks down scar tissue, fibrosis and calcification
• Decreases pain and increases pain threshold at the treatment site 
• Reduces spasticity in upper and lower limbs

Treatable conditions include:

• Greatest evidence for muscle and tendon conditions
• Tendinopathies e.g. rotator cuff tendinopathy, achilles tendinopathy, patellar tendinopathy, tennis elbow, calcific tendinopathy
• Joint osteoarthritis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Spasticity in upper and lower limbs following stroke
• Greater trochanteric pain syndrome
• Sore or tight muscles/trigger points and muscle overuse injuries
• Reduction of scar tissue and fibrosis
• Bone spurs and bone healing including fractures
• Bursitis e.g. hip and shoulder
• Conditions affecting the nervous system including chronic pain and neural symptoms

Precautions and contraindications

Contraindications

• Coagulation disorders
• Use of anticoagulants, especially Marcumar
• Thrombosis
• Tumour diseases, carcinoma or cancer
• Pregnancy
• Children in growth (growth plates)
• Target areas located above air filled tissues
• On large nerves
• The spinal column
• Osteoporosis
• The area of the head
• Infected wound

Precautions - please discuss these with your therapist prior to treatment

• Cortisone therapy up to 6 weeks before the first shockwave treatment
• Pacemaker (not in the near area)
• Prosthesis (not in the near area)
• Cardiac and circulatory conditions

What to expect during treatment

Shockwave treatment will be administered through a handpiece and gel applied to the skin at the treatment area and is non-invasive
During treatment you may feel a tapping on the skin and an ache in the surrounding tissue of mild to moderate discomfort
The machine is not loud when in use but is audible so please speak to your therapist if you are sensitive to sound
Treatment duration varies between 2 to 15 minutes depending on the condition and area/s of treatment
A general guide for treatment course is 3-5 sessions 1-2x per week and best results will be seen 2 weeks after the 5th treatment, however, gold standard course is condition and patient dependent

Treatment aftercare

You can continue your regular levels of activity and minimise activity that may put unnecessary stress through the treated tissue
Avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and ice as these may reduce acute inflammation and the therapeutic effects of shockwave
Shockwave is best used in conjunction with other therapies and you can continue physiotherapy and exercise therapy during your treatment course

Side effects

• Swelling
• Petechiae (small spots on skins caused by bleeding from broken capillaries)
• Pain
• Redness
• Skin lesions after previous cortisone therapy
• In rare cases, shockwave may increase tendon tearing or rupture

Side effects generally abate after 2-5 days. It is important these side effects have disappeared before starting the next treatment and should be discussed with your therapist to properly tailor treatment

Regardless of your condition, please discuss how shockwave therapy could benefit you with your therapist.