What is Shockwave Therapy?
A newly emerging but increasingly popular treatment, Shockwave Therapy is a highly successful alternative to surgical treatment used to treat tendon injuries and for the removal of calcium build up in the affected sites.
Delivered by Alex Szabo, a highly trained and experienced Nottingham Osteopath, Shockwave Therapy has been proven to help patients who have lived with long-term and debilitating pain and previously thought that surgery was their only option for relief.
Surgery inherently brings with it a host of risks and has no guarantee of success, especially with tendon injuries and related conditions; clinically proven Shockwave Therapy, however, offers a safe and effective non-invasive option.
How Does Shockwave Therapy work?
Shockwave Therapy works by conducting pulses of high energy into the body on a focused area, as identified by your Osteopath, using a hand-held module. These pulses of high energy travel through the body in waves, penetrating deep into the affected area.
The energy pulses work to break down scar tissue and calcium deposits which may have built up in the affected area. These deposits may be preventing normal movement and causing pain. The shockwaves accelerate the body’s own healing processes by stimulating the metabolism, promoting capillary formation, cell generation and pro-collagen in the affected area.
Many patients report some relief within the first few days after their first session, and a return to normal movement and being pain-free within weeks of completing a full course of Shockwave Therapy.
What Happens During Your Appointment?
Prior to your Shockwave Therapy appointment, Alex will carry out a thorough assessment. Combining Osteopathic and orthopaedic techniques will enable to assess your individual needs and combine Shockwave Therapy with other therapies to address the underlying causes of the problem, ensuring effective treatment and long-lasting results.
Your Shockwave Therapy appointment is totally non-invasive. A gel is applied to your skin then, using a hand-held device, the harmless pulses of Shockwave energy are transmitted through the skin directly into the area identified for treatment.
The initial consultation and treatment will last for about an hour. Despite the fact that the Shockwave treatment itself lasts for about 10 -15 minutes, please allocate around half an hour to your appointment as a short retest and additional Osteopathic treatment modalities may be included depending on your needs.
A course of 3 – 5 sessions over consecutive weeks is recommended for most conditions but additional courses of treatment may be required. However, a prognosis of the shockwave therapy will be discussed.
What Disorders Can Shockwave Therapy treat?
- Shoulder pain, e.g. scar tissue, calcification of the rotator cuff tendons and bony spurs
- Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
- Medial epicondylitis (golfer‘s elbow)
- Hip pain
- Patellar tendonitis (jumper‘s knee)
- Tibial stress syndrome (shin pain)
- Achilles tendinopathy
- Heel pain; e.g. heel spurs, Plantar fasciitis
What Disorders Can Shockwave Therapy treat?
How Successful is Shockwave Therapy?
Both clinical studies and patient testimonials confirm that Shockwave Therapy is not just a viable alternative to surgery but, in many cases, a better option – delivering effective results with considerably less risk.
While the results are not instant, a course of treatments can help patients who have lived with continuous pain to become pain-free for the first time in years, resuming day-to-day, occupational or recreational activities that they had previously been forced to give up.
Increasingly, professional sports people are using Shockwave Therapy to treat injuries which have hampered their success. The recovery period is faster than surgery and there’s no risk of tendon rupture or infection – Shockwave Therapy is a low-risk option with a very high success rate demonstrated by numerous studies.
Partial pain relief can sometimes be felt within 24-48 hours of treatment and will continue to improve throughout the course. Tissue Healing usually occurs within 4-6 weeks of the last session.
What Disorders Can Shockwave Therapy treat?
How Successful is Shockwave Therapy?
Both clinical studies and patient testimonials confirm that Shockwave Therapy is not just a viable alternative to surgery but, in many cases, a better option – delivering effective results with considerably less risk.
While the results are not instant, a course of treatments can help patients who have lived with continuous pain to become pain-free for the first time in years, resuming day-to-day, occupational or recreational activities that they had previously been forced to give up.
Increasingly, professional sports people are using Shockwave Therapy to treat injuries which have hampered their success. The recovery period is faster than surgery and there’s no risk of tendon rupture or infection – Shockwave Therapy is a low-risk option with a very high success rate demonstrated by numerous studies.
Partial pain relief can sometimes be felt within 24-48 hours of treatment and will continue to improve throughout the course. Tissue Healing usually occurs within 4-6 weeks of the last session.
What Benefits Can I Expect?
Shockwave Therapy promotes the body’s own healing processes, encouraging a natural and effective response. Scar tissue and calcium deposits that may have built up around the affected area limiting movement and causing pain will be dissipated. Painful swelling will be reduced, blood flow to the area increased, and the growth of healthy connective tissue stimulated.
Unlike painful and invasive surgery is not required, you won’t have to take long periods off work or away from normal activities whilst you are undergoing your Shockwave Therapy treatment. In between appointments you can go about your usual day-to-day life.
After a course of treatments, you can expect a return to normal movement (providing there are no other limiting factors) and freedom from the restrictive pain that you have put up with for so long.
Does Shockwave Hurt and Is It Safe?
Shockwave Therapy is not a painful treatment, although you may experience some discomfort especially on the first appointment during the procedure and some tenderness or slight swelling/bruising afterwards.
This is because previously the body had stopped attempting to heal the damaged area and the Shockwaves are intentionally causing micro-abrasions to reboot the body’s healing process. After a couple of days, however, these minor side-effects should have abated and you will begin to notice an improvement.
Book Your Shockwave Therapy Today!
Speak to Alex to book your Shockwave treatment. Call or use our contact form.
Nottingham Osteopath Alex Szabo provides osteopathy and sports massage treatments for patients across the Midlands.
QUICK CONTACT
Tel: 0747 124 8330
Email: info@nottsosteopathy.co.uk
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 7am - 7pm