Shockwave therapy is also known as Shockwave Ultrasound Therapy or Extra Corporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT). The main assets of this type of electrotherapy treatment are fast pain relief and mobility restoration. As a non-surgical therapy it is ideal to speed up recovery and cure various conditions causing acute or chronic pain.
What is ‘Shockwave’ Therapy?
Shockwave is an acoustic wave which carries high energy to painful spots and musculoskeletal tissues with subacute and chronic conditions. The treatment promotes regeneration and reparative processes of the bones, tendons and other soft tissues.
The kinetic energy, created by compressed air, is transferred to the transmitter at the end of the applicator and further into the tissue.
Acoustic waves with high energy peak used in Shockwave therapy interact with tissue, causing overall medical effects of accelerated tissue repair and cell growth, pain relief and mobility restoration.
How does Shockwave Therapy have an affect on injury?
There are specific clinical effects associated with the application of shock waves to the affected body part. These stimulate the healing process and offer pain relief.
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New Blood Vessel Formation
Nutrient blood flow is necessary to start and maintain the repair processes of damaged tissue structure. The application of acoustic waves creates capillary micro-ruptures in tendon and bone. Due to micro-ruptures there is an increase in growth factors leading to remodelling of arterioles and stimulation leading to new formation. The new blood vessels improve blood supply and oxygenation of the treated area and support faster healing of both the tendon and the bone.
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Reversal of Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation occurs when the inflammatory response is not completely halted. It can damage healthy tissue and results in chronic pain. Mast cells are one of the key components of the inflammatory process. Their activity may be increased by using pervasive acoustic waves.
Mast cell activation is followed by the production of chemokines and cytokines. These pro-inflammatory compounds first enhance the inflammatory process and in the next step help restore normal healing and regenerative processes.
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Stimulation of Collagen Production
The production of a sufficient amount of collagen is a necessary precondition for the repair processes of the damaged musculoskeletal and ligamentous structures. Shockwave therapy accelerates procollagen synthesis. The therapy forces the newly created collagen fibres into a longitudinal structure which makes the newly formed tendon fibres more dense and stiff and creates a firmer structure.
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Dissolution of Calcified Fibroblasts
Calcium build-up is most often a result of micro-tears or other trauma to a tendon. Acoustic waves break up the existing calcifications. Shockwave therapy starts the biochemical decalcification of the calcium build-up of a toothpaste-like consistency and treats the tendon. The granular particles of calcium are then removed by the lymphatic system.
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Dispersion of Pain Mediator “Substance P”
Substance P is a neurotransmitter that mediates pain information through C-fibres. This neuropeptide is generally associated with intense, persistent and chronic pain. It relays pain messages to the central nervous system. Lowering the concentration of Substance P reduces the stimulation of afferent nociceptive fibres and thus reduces the pain. Decreasing Substance P, histamines and other nociceptive metabolites also helps inhibit development of inflammatory oedema. Acoustic waves generated by Shockwave therapy lower the Substance P concentration and trigger pain relief.
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Release of Trigger Points
Trigger points are the principal cause of pain in the back, neck, shoulder and limbs. They are associated with palpable nodules in taut bands of muscle fibres and have extremely contracted sarcomeres which contract so tightly that they begin to cut off their own blood supply. This causes the waste products to build up. Waste product build-up irritates the sensory nerve endings which then causes even more contraction. This vicious cycle is referred to as “metabolic crisis”. The assumed mechanism of action is that the delivered acoustic energy unblocks the calcium pump and thus reverses the metabolic crisis in the myofilaments and releases the trigger points
What conditions can be treated by Shockwave Therapy?
There are specific conditions which respond well to Shockwave Ultrasound therapy or ESWT. These include tennis and golfer’s elbow, Achilles tendinopathy, shin splints or medial tibial stress syndrome, plantar fasciitis, rotator cuff syndrome and other painful shoulder conditions and hip pain caused by trochanteric bursitis.
We offer ESWT (Shockwave Therapy) at Milton Keynes. Our Sport and Exercise Medicine doctors can assess your injury to see if it is likely to respond to this treatment.
The majority of insurance companies do cover this treatment but if you are insured please check with your insurance company to see if they cover the treatment. It is also available to self pay patients and you can find out the treatment costs by clicking here
