Blog
29 Dec 2021
SHOCKWAVE
Have you heard that noisy machine in the therapist treatment rooms? Maybe your dog has gotten to experience it as well! We’re talking about Shockwave! It’s a therapy as exciting as it sounds and we think you’ll want to learn more!!
There are actually two different kinds of shockwave – Focused and Radial. Focused is a dialed down therapeutic version that stems from lithotripsy (i.e. how they blast away kidney stones or the like). Radial shockwave is also called Pressure Wave, because it doesn’t focus its energy at a target deeper inside the body. Instead, its energy is delivered at the surface and a pressure wave is created that stimulates the tissues underneath.
Two Hands Physiotherapy uses a RADIAL shockwave unit, so it makes sense to focus there and tell you a bit more about it!
Firstly, what is shockwave used for?
To keep it simple, I’ll group it’s uses into categories. Shockwave has shown to be effective on muscle and tendon problems, osteoarthritis, back pain, and non-union bone fractures. These findings are in both human and animal studies.
What does shockwave do to the body?
It’s been shown that shockwave helps by increasing blood flow to an area and with the formation of new blood vessels. It helps with the release of the growth factor hormone (which helps with wound and tissue healing) and creates a small inflammatory reaction that triggers the body to heal a particular area. Shockwave can also stimulate the stem cells in the bone (needed to trigger bone healing) and can inhibit nerve transmission in the area (which can help with pain management).
What conditions absolutely shouldn’t receive shockwave?
The list of contraindications for Radial shockwave is shorter than for focused shockwave. Essentially, we would not shockwave over a pregnant uterus, over a known cancer, or in a patient with a bleeding disorder.
Other questions you might have about Shockwave
Is it painful?
- Radial shockwave should not be painful. If you experience discomfort with the shockwave then we can turn down the intensity. As a general rule, a fleshy, well-muscled area can tolerate the machine turned up to a higher intensity, whereas a bony area will need the machine turned down lower.
What to expect after a treatment?
- It is important to note that we are creating an irritation and stimulating tissue. You MAY be more sore immediately after treatment (but not always). Sometimes an increase in soreness just means that we stimulated a response. However, if soreness persists beyond a day, we can simply reduce the intensity on the next appointment. More often, patients experience pain relief right away after application.
If you have more questions about Shockwave Therapy, please feel free to reach out to us or ask your therapist about this treatment tool! We are always happy to help!
