You put your body through quite a bit of abuse over the years. Whether it's playing a sport or just everyday life, there are many opportunities to pull, strain, and injure muscles, ligaments, and tendons. While there are times these structures will heal on their own, there are many times they will not. The result is chronic pain, which is bad enough can affect the quality of your day to day life.
Living in pain means you miss out on the simple joys of life such as playing with your kids, grandkids or joining in on activities with your friends and family. Many are not open to the idea of surgery for a pain that they can live with and isn't detrimental to their health. Fortunately, you do not have to. You can have your cake and eat it too! Most are not aware of shockwave therapy, how it works, and the benefits it offers to individuals in the same situation as yourself! Let's take a closer look at shockwave therapy.
What is Shockwave Therapy?
Don't let the name fool you, shockwave therapy is a non-surgical form of treatment designed to relieve pain from a long-lasting disease or sustained injury. The body possesses a natural healing response. Even when you are not aware of it, your body's healing response works to repair damage and injuries sustained by the body, no matter how minor. Shockwave therapy focuses specifically on areas which have sustained damage and works to stimulate the body's natural healing response. This is a great option for those looking for a non-invasive and cost-effective treatment.
How Does Shockwave Therapy Work?
This type of therapy is comprised of an acoustic wave that is applied to the painful area. This wave is low-energy and sent in pulses to the affected area. The waves cause microtrauma to the already injured area, which then activates the body's healing response to repair the area to its non-painful state. This type of treatment causes mild discomfort at most. Many do not experience any discomfort when undergoing therapy. Although shockwave therapy is carried out over multiple sessions, many feel a degree of relief after the first treatment.
The Best Technology for Shockwave Therapy
Focused shockwave therapy has emerged as the latest and most advanced technology when it comes to shockwave therapy treatment. Focused shockwave therapy uses electromagnetic technology. This type of therapy is able to deliver the most amount of energy at the correct depth, with an unsurpassed level of accuracy that hones in on the actual problem area. Specific trigger points can be specifically treated as well as independently adjustable penetration depths.
Due to the ability to fine-tune penetration depths, focus, and intensity, patients experience minimal discomfort during therapy. These advantages over radial shockwave therapy make it the preferred shockwave therapy treatment method.
What are Conditions Treated by Shockwave Therapy?
The use of shockwave therapy has been shown effective in the treatment of a variety of conditions, especially those that involve tendons and ligaments. This type of treatment is used for conditions found in all parts of the body. Let's take a look at the most common conditions that shockwave therapy has proved to be effective in treating.
The Back
Shockwave therapy can treat chronic pain in the back caused by damage to the muscles and the spine, specifically the cervical and lumbar areas.
The Shoulder
This type of therapy is effective in treating damage to the rotator cuff muscles. The most common condition is calcific tendonitis, which is calcium deposits around the rotator cuff that causes severe pain and inhibits the normal function of the joint.
The Elbow
Nicknamed "tennis elbow," this painful condition is common in avid tennis players and golfers. It is caused by repetitive motions of the elbow and effectively treated with shockwave therapy.
The Hip
Bursitis in the hip is caused by the fluid-filled sacs used to cushion the joint becoming inflamed. This is a particularly painful condition which is offered relief by shockwave therapy.
The Leg
The leg absorbs a great deal of shock from everyday walking and even more so if you are an athlete. Shockwave therapy can help treat a variety of conditions including shin splints, inflamed iliotibial band in the knee, and inflammation of your patellar ligament in your knee which causes knee pain.
The Benefits of Shockwave Therapy
There are numerous benefits to using shockwave therapy in order to relieve painful musculoskeletal conditions. First of all, shockwave therapy is non-invasive. This means this type of treatment is not surgical and you will not need to undergo anaesthesia or numbing drugs that can cause grogginess or other undesirable side effects after treatment.
Secondly, shockwave therapy is a good alternative if you have tried other forms of treatment for your pain that haven't worked, but do not want to undergo an invasive surgical procedure that requires weeks of limited mobility and recovery.
Third, shockwave therapy is cost-effective when compared to surgical treatments and has proven to be effective in treating painful conditions involving muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Lastly, shockwave therapy is safe with minimal side effects. The discomfort immediately following the procedure shouldn't last more than 24 hours, during which time you should avoid strenuous activity.
Seek a Physio Expert Today for a Shockwave Therapy
Seeking out an experienced physiotherapist for shockwave therapy is your best option when it comes to treatment. Your physiotherapist thoroughly understands human anatomy, especially the function of muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The very first thing they will do is take your complete history as well as an exam to understand the exact cause of the pain you are having.
Make sure to fully express all of your concerns and problem areas during your appointment, so your physiotherapist can have a complete picture. Afterwards, they will design a treatment plan specifically to fit your needs. Your physiotherapist is able to monitor your progress with each visit and make the needed adjustments to your treatment plan. Contact us today and book an appointment for our state-of-the-art shockwave therapy services.
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