Managing pain with shockwave therapy

The pain and injuries caused by bone or soft tissue problems can be very debilitating and difficult to manage , and create an abundance of stress and anxiety.

These issues can affect your lifestyle and result in you being unable to exercise or engage in things you like.

It is possible that you will need to use a regular pain reliever but it’s not always able to ease your pain or discomfort and may result in negative side negative effects. Sometimes, surgery might appear as the only option. This is difficult and comes with risks.

Shockwave therapy is an ingenuous treatment that targets particular pain that is present in joints, bones muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It’s a non-invasive procedure that is available on an basis on an outpatient basis. It can provide an effective or complete relief of pain for the majority of the patients.

What is the shockwave therapy?

Shockwave therapy is also referred to by the name of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) or Radial Shockwave Therapy (RSWT).

It’s not new however its application to treat muscles and joints that are painful is a relatively recent innovation. The therapy was initially designed to assist urologists in treating kidney stones without surgery, in the latter part of the 1990s. It’s now being used successfully to treat many muscular and skeletal disorders.

Numerous research papers have shown that it is effective in treating issues like heel pain that is caused by plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinopathy.

There aren’t any known adverse effects associated with using shockwave therapy. There is no known side effects. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) NICE who provide guidelines, advice and other information on healthcare providers, has approved the treatment using shockwaves to provide muscle and joint pain relief in clinics as well as in hospital settings in the UK.

What conditions can shockwave therapy be employed for?

Shockwave therapy is helpful for those suffering from painful soft tissue (muscle ligaments, tendons and muscles) or bone and joint conditions. It can aid patients suffering from overuse or sports injuries, and also benefit patients who undergo physiotherapy for many different problems.

The majority of times using shockwave therapy, it is to treat these ailments:

Achilles tendinopathy (pain in the tendon connecting the heel to the muscles of the calf)
Plantar fasciitis (pain on the bottom of your foot)
Tennis elbow (pain on the outside of your elbow)
It is also known as golfers have elbow (pain on the inside of elbow)
Patellofemoral syndrome (runner’s knee)
Iliotibial band Syndrome, or ITBS (pain that runs across an outside hip all the way down the thigh’s outside up to beyond the knee’s outside (caused by cycling and running)
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (shin splints)
Bony spurs on the heel

What is the effect of shockwave therapy?

Shockwave therapy near me is injected directly to the skin which is a part of the area affected. This type of pain-relief treatment uses low-energy sound, also known as acoustic waves instead of electrical waves.

The sound waves that are generated by these sound waves are “radial in form and behavior. They are easily absorbed by the skin. Once they do, they emit shockwaves throughout the tendon, joint, or muscle. It is therefore a specific type of treatment, focusing on those areas that have been damaged or injured.

If you choose to undergo shockwave therapy the therapist will employ an electronic device that can be held by hand linked to a machine which transforms the compressed air in to sound waves. They’ll apply mild pressure and then move the device over the region that needs treatment. The gel that is used for ultrasound is applied to the skin prior to treatment to aid in transmitting the shockwaves into the skin.

The sound waves increase circulatory flow in the site which causes the area to experience a tiny amount of localized inflammation. After treatment the body works to heal the inflammation naturally and, in the process will stimulate the healing and regeneration of cells. The tissues that have been injured or damaged begin to heal, causing the pain and discomfort to decrease.

If you’ve got scar tissue around the area which is causing your pain, shockwave therapy may also aid in the breakdown of the fibrous, thick tissue. Scar tissue is a cause of immobility for the tissues surrounding it because in contrast to normal tissues it’s very flexible. The breaking down of it using sound waves aids in improving mobility and ease of discomfort.

Does shockwave therapy work for anyone?

Before receiving the treatment you want, your physician will collect a complete medical history of you to determine whether you’re suitable to undergo shockwave therapy.

Shockwave therapy is a secure and effective treatment when it is administered in a professional environment, however there are instances when it’s not recommended. The treatment isn’t appropriate for:

If you suffer from a blood clotting disorder or take blood-thinning or anticoagulant medicines like aspirin (75mg every day) or warfarin
If you have a nervous disorder, it is likely that you are
You’re pregnant
Have you had or are currently suffering from any type of bone cancer
There is an infection in your region that requires treatment
There are plates or metal pins in the area that require attention.
You’ve had an injection of steroid for the same issue within the past 12 weeks.
You’ve used any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers , such as ibuprofen or ibuprofen within the past two weeks.

Your doctor will be able to recommend the most effective course of action in the event that any of the above applies to you.
Does shockwave therapy cause pain?

The Shockwave Therapy is an non-invasive and non-surgical procedure, however there may be a slight discomfort or pain in your region of treatment during the process. The majority of patients describe it as feeling like tiny pulses against their skin. The doctor you consult with might be able to alter the method they use to operate the device for shockwaves if the discomfort is severe.

Each session will last only about a minute, meaning the majority of patients can endure the level of discomfort that can be caused from shockwaves.

When you get to your appointment, it’s best to dress in loose clothing that you are able to move effortlessly in. This makes you feel more comfortable. Based on the location where your pain is, you might be lying on your side and it’s much simpler to lay on your back when you’re not limited by clothes.

How long will it take to heal after the treatment with shockwaves?

When your treatment is complete and you’re at home to resume work and routine daily activities immediately. Avoid high-impact activities like doing tennis or running for the first 48-hours following treatment.

If you are experiencing any discomfort, take paracetamol as long as you’re able however, you should avoid taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkiller like ibuprofen since it could interfere with any treatment that is ineffective.

In the following days after shockwave therapy, you could feel redness and swelling around the area you have treated. This may make your pain appear to be worse, but this , which is an indication of your healing process It is normal and will fade within a few days or.

How long will it take for shockwave therapy to start to take effect?

The majority of people require 3 sessions for shockwave therapy every week at intervals before any significant relief from pain is felt. Some conditions may require five treatments. Your physician will be able to talk about your individual case and goals with you.

Once your treatment is complete Your doctor will typically invite you to come back to check how you’re getting on.