A Non-Surgical and Safe Option for Persistent Soft Tissue Problems.
Shockwave Therapy is an innovative and clinically proven form of treatment technology that was first developed and used in elite sports – we are now able to offer this at Durham Family Chiropractic.
Shockwave Therapy is becoming increasingly popular; it is recommend by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and has been used in the NHS and a variety of elite sport settings for some time now to manage and accelerate healing of tissue injuries. Shockwave Therapy is recommend by top orthopaedic hospitals and is used by Premier league football clubs such as Newcastle United, the English Institute of Sport, UK Athletics and Welsh Rugby Union.
What is Shockwave Therapy?
Radial Shockwave therapy is a non-surgical treatment, and works by delivering impulses of energy, targeted to specific damaged tissues within the abnormal tendon. Shockwave was first introduced in the 1950s for use in the medical field, by the 1970s it was being used to break down kidney stones. In the 1980s it started to be used for the management of orthopaedic conditions such as non-healing bones and tendinopathies. In the 1990s, as shockwave technology improved, it demonstrated good results in the treatment of heel spurs and elbow pain. Shockwave Therapy has now advanced even further and is now widely used in the management of many orthopaedic and soft tissue conditions.
Benefits of Shockwave Therapy
If you have ever suffered from chronic tendon pain such as in the rotator cuff, elbow, knee or ankle/foot then you will appreciate how debilitating these conditions can be and how negatively they can impact on your life.
Shockwave Therapy can accelerate the healing of injured tissues and so the results are a quicker, less painful recovery. Shockwave has several physiological effects on tissue; it stimulates cell growth and growth of new blood vessels, it breaks down calcific and scar tissue build up and reduces inflammation and pain. The treatment puts the cells into repair mode and allows your body to restart its own accelerated healing process. All of these factors allow the return to normal function.
Shockwave Therapy is most commonly used to treat:
- Hip Pain & Tendinopathies – Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome, Deep Gluteal Syndrome, Hamstring Tendinopathy
- Foot & Ankle Pain – Plantar Fasciitis, Heel Spurs, Achilles Tendinopathy
- Elbow Pain – Tennis & Golfers Elbow
- Shoulder Pain – Rotator Cuff Tendinitis, Impingement Syndrome, Calcific Tendinitis & Frozen Shoulder
- Wrist Pain – Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tenosynovitis
- Knee Pain – Patella Tendinopathy, Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (Shin Splints)
Does Shockwave Therapy Hurt?
There may be some discomfort however the treatment is delivered with a low amount of energy at first, which is increased slowly as you get used to it. Shockwave Therapy produces an analgesic effect and many patients report immediate relief following treatment.
Side-Effects
As Shockwave Therapy promotes a pro-inflammatory response so there may be swelling, redness, heat and soreness in or around the area being treated. Bruising is not likely but can occur in rare instances.
How long are Treatment Sessions and How Many Will I need?
Treatment sessions usually last 10-15 mins (per area). Most conditions require an average of six sessions with treatment once per week. A minimum of twelve weeks are required for full healing to have taken effect.
Rehabilitation Support
Treatment may be supported by specific focused eccentric exercises that will aid in the recovery of your injury.
Will I need a Medical Ultrasound Scan ?
Depending on the area of complaint, some soft tissue conditions will require an ultrasound scan prior to shockwave therapy as this will provide more accurate targeting of the underlying tissue by knowing exactly where to place the shockwave probe and this allows a better chance of recovery. This will incur an extra cost but will improve your chances of recovery.
Shockwave Equipment
Durham Family Chiropractic have invested heavily into market leading Shockwave Therapy equipment and so we are sure of obtaining the best results possible.
The Shockwave technology that we are using at Durham Family Chiropractic is the MP50 by Storz Medical. There are many Shockwave devices on the market today but very few can demonstrate the intended physiological effects that Shockwave should deliver. Many devices just do not deliver the energy to the tissue that is required for the promotion of tissue healing and so recovery is impeded. The physiological effects required for maximum tissue healing ability have been clinically proven with the Storz MP50 during independent research.
Contraindications
Although Shockwave Therapy is extremely safe when used by a trained healthcare professional, there are still several reasons why you will be unable to receive this treatment.
- Pregnancy or trying to conceive
- Application over open growth plates – not suitable for under 18 years
- Metal pins or plates at injury site
- Malignant tumours
- Nerve or circulation disorders
- Infection
- If you are taking anticoagulants or have a blood disorder
- Pacemaker
- Epilepsy
- Allergy to coupling gel
If you have questions relating to contraindications for Shockwave Therapy then please contact us.
Booking an Appointment
Shockwave Therapy will be available as a stand alone treatment or it can be used in combination with your regular plan of management, whether that be chiropractic, massage or acupuncture. We would always recommend that Shockwave Therapy be used in combination with chiropractic or massage where possible, as your injury may have an underlying cause that also needs to be addressed.
Eligibility for receiving Shockwave Therapy will be determined by the practitioner and will require an initial consultation if you are not already receiving treatment at the clinic. The practitioner delivering Shockwave Therapy is Neil.
To book an appointment or if you would like more information please call the clinic on 0191 375 7600.
Fee
Stand alone (not in combination with other treatment – includes initial consultation) – £50 per session.
Combination (alongside chiropractic, massage or acupuncture ) – £40 per session.
Combination Fee – Does not include chiropractic, massage or acupuncture fee. Shockwave Therapy may be on a different day to your regular appointment.
