Shockwaves Therapy is a non-invasive acoustic wave form treatment, effectively relieving pain and promoting heal from chronic inflammation.
What is extracoporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)?
Extracoporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a non-invasive sonic wave form treatment, which can treat acute and chronic musculo-skeletal diseases, and is generated by piezoelectric, electromagnetic and electrohydraulic technologies.
The technology has initially been used for treating renal stone since 1970’. It is regarded as a safe medical practice because of its’ low rate of reverse effect. In recent decade, shockwave technique was further elaborated and found its therapeutic effects for treating superficial soft tissue strain or sprain illnesses.
What conditions can shockwave therapy treat?
Shockwave therapy is proved for its pain relief and healing effects for chronic tendonitis ( Tendinosis or Tendinopathy). It breaks down scar tissue and triggers healing process from chronic illness. Apart from musculoskeletal problem, shockwave is also been used for treating erectile dysfunction. Here is the list for Shockwave treatable diseases:
- Tennis Elbow
- Calcific Tendonitis of the Shoulder
- Golfer’s Elbow
- Trigger Point Treatment
- Pseudarthosis
- Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome
- Patellar Tip Syndrome
- Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Achilles Tendinopathy
What happens during the procedure?
A piezoelectric probe, which would be placed on the skin, and charges to create shockwave over the areas that causing pain. Patients might feel soreness and that helps to locate the exact areas and provide more effective relief.
What should I expect after treatment?
Many patients response that they are easier to move their painful area without causing same pain as before. However, we would suggest avoid strenuous physical activities and our therapist will give you gradual progressing exercise advice, in order to safely regain functional capacity.
Effect of Shockwaves therapy：
- Promote delayed bone-tendon junction healing1： This experiment formulated delated OTJ healing on rat model. Extracorporeal shockwave (ESW) group showed significant improvement of bone healing than control group, and proposed its mechanism might be due to ESW enhanced endochondral ossification process and regeneration of fibrocartilage zone.
- Improve rate of peripheral nerve regeneration: Two group of mice received auto-graft for their sciatic nerve. Experimental group received ECST whereas the control group received only autograft. The ECST showed improvement in axonal regeneration. It was proposed that ECST enhanced mechanism of fastening Wallerian degeneration, and thus improving clean of degenerated axons and greater capacity of injuried axons of regeneration.
Reference:
1) Qin, L., Wang, L., Wong, M. W., Wen, C., Wang, G., Zhang, G., . . . Leung, K. (2010). Osteogenesis induced by extracorporeal shockwave in treatment of delayed osteotendinous junction healing. Journal of Orthopaedic Research,28(1), 70-76. doi:10.1002/jor.20948
Lo Man Kin, William
Mr. Lo received full time training in Physiotherapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine. After working in orthopaedic clinic, he gained lot of experience in treating different kinds of pain condition. He has great interest in integrated medicine and like to explore the ancient medical knowledge. He is now also serving as the committee member of one of the course in Hong Kong St John Association, write for the column and promote acupuncture in radio program.
