SHOCKWAVE THERAPY
At Bay Life Centre, the practitioners use a number of treatment techniques and modalities to facilitate healing. We aim to return our patients to their desired level of function and performance as quickly as possible. In order to do so, the correct diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation plan is essential.
One of the treatment modalities used in the centre is Shockwave therapy. This is a safe, non-invasive form of electrotherapy that uses acoustic waves to penetrate deep into the tissue. It targets sites of injury (ligaments, tendons, and fascia) and trigger points in muscles. It has been shown to accelerate the body’s natural healing process, reducing the recovery period for most individuals that have participated in research studies, testing its effectiveness. It is used as part of a rehabilitation program.
In some double-blind randomized controlled studies, patients experienced up to 91% improvement with an 84% success rate for numerous conditions that previously struggled to heal. Such conditions range from chronic pain; tendinopathies for the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and ankle; plantar fasciitis; and ligament injuries. The application of this modality is directed by research and as practitioners, we have to remain up to date on the various changes that research suggests. The body of research in this area of treatment is growing rapidly, so we are constantly reviewing and modifying protocols to ensure that our patients get the best treatment possible.
The acoustic wave intensity, frequency and pressure on the affective tissue is not the same across all injury types. The various tissues respond appropriately when the severity and type of injury, and tissue are considered. The injured sites respond in the following ways:
- It undergoes a process of developing new blood vessels in tissues where circulation has been impaired by injury, trauma or disease. This contributes to tissue regeneration which leads to the restoration of the damaged structure and function of the damaged tissue.
- Damaged tissue undergoes scarring and the job of a scar is to close the wound as quickly as possible. It is a very dense network of tissue called fibrin. It can be formed from infections, surgery, injuries, or inflammation. For some, this may cause pain, tightness or difficulty moving. The scar does remodel over time but for some this can take years and it has been shown that in such cases, Shockwave therapy is very effective for reducing pain and restoring the normal functioning of tissue, when the individual is not healing as they are expecting to.
- In some cases, the tissue can experience calcification. Here the tissue hardens through the deposition of calcium compounds, causing pain and loss of tissue elasticity and strength. The acoustic waves are used to disrupt these deposits and return pain-free movement, tissue elasticity and strength.
If you are struggling with pain, tissue healing or chronic injury you should consider having an assessment with one of the Practitioners. Shockwave therapy may well be a treatment modality that may speed up your recovery.
