Shockwave Treatment

Painful sports injuries, or pain caused by bone problems or soft tissue, can be difficult to manage, debilitating, and cause a lot of stress and discomfort. These conditions can affect the quality of life and prevent you from exercising or doing the things you love. You may need to take pain medication regularly, which may not always relieve discomfort and pain and cause side effects. Sometimes surgery seems like your only option, which is overwhelming and not without risk.

Shockwave treatment is an innovative treatment that targets specific pains in joints, bones, tendons, muscles, and ligaments. It is a non-invasive therapy that can be administered on an outpatient basis and provides significant or complete pain relief in most patients.

How Does Shockwave Treatment Work?

Shockwave treatment is applied directly to the skin covering the affected area. This type of pain relief treatment uses acoustic waves or low-energy sound instead of electrical waves. These acoustic waves have a “radial” shape and behavior. They can penetrate the skin easily and after passing through they radiate as a shockwave along the affected muscle, tendon, or joint. Therefore, shockwave treatment is a type of targeted therapy in which only the injured or damaged areas are treated.

If you choose to have shockwave therapy, your specialist will employ a portable device attached to a unit that converts compressed air to acoustic waves. They will apply some pressure and move the handheld device over the area to be treated. The ultrasound gel is applied to the skin beforehand in order to support the transmission of shockwaves through the skin.

The acoustic waves stimulate blood flow to the affected area and also cause minor localized inflammation. In the days following treatment, the body will work to heal this inflammation naturally, thereby stimulating cell repair and regeneration. The injured or damaged tissue then begins to repair itself and the associated pain is reduced.

If you have scar tissue in an area that is adding to your discomfort or pain, shockwave therapy will help break down that thick and fibrous tissue as well. Scar tissue causes the surrounding tissue to remain immobile because, unlike normal tissue, it is not very elastic. Breaking open with the help of sound waves improves discomfort and mobility.

Is Shockwave Treatment Painful?

Shockwave treatment is a non-surgical and non-invasive treatment. However, discomfort or pain in the treatment area may occur during the procedure. Most patients say they feel tiny impulses on their skin. Your therapist can adjust the way the shockwave device is used if your pain is severe. Each session only lasts a few minutes, so most patients can tolerate the discomfort caused by shockwave treatment.

When you come for your treatment, it helps that you wear loose clothing that allows you to move around easily, as it will make you feel more comfortable. Depending on where your pain is, you can lie down on your forehead and it is easier when you are not restricted by clothing.

To request information about shockwave treatment at Performance Chiropractic + Physiotherapy, please contact our friendly advisory team on 780-433-9920 for more information. Our team can help you get back on your feet and be strong enough to live your life pain-free.