Shockwave Therapy

An Innovative Solution

Shockwave Therapy was first used in the treatment of Kidney stones and Gall stones, in the 1980s. It didn’t take Medical Professionals long to discover that this therapy could also be used effectively for a wide range of medical conditions. Shockwave therapy involves a projectile in the handpiece to cause a mechanical “pressure wave” into the affected area. The forces of the acoustic pulses penetrate the tissues and stimulate the cells in the body which are responsible for healing bones and connective tissue.

Some of the benefits of Shockwave therapy include: reversing chronic inflammation, releasing trigger points, breaking down calcification, new blood vessel formation, and the stimulation of collage production.

Shockwave therapy can be administered by Physiotherapists and Chiropractors at Avita Health. The duration of a Shockwave treatment is usually 5 to 10 minutes. Treatment plans generally involve 3 to 5 sessions, as part of the Physiotherapy or Chiropractic visit.

Is Shockwave therapy painful?

Shockwave therapy is non-surgical and non-invasive, however, it is not uncommon to feel a low level of discomfort in the area that is being treated, during the session. Many patients describe the sensation as “pulses against the skin”.

Here is a partial list of just some of the conditions which can be effectively treated with Shockwave Therapy:

• Shoulder – calcific tendinosis (rotator cuff muscles)
• Elbows – golfer’s and tennis elbow
• Feet – Plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, heel spurs
• Knee – Patellar tendonitis, Shin pain, Jumper’s knee
• Legs – Shin splints, IT band friction syndrome
• Hip – Trochanteric bursitis
• Neck – pain, stiffness and reduced range of motion
• Bones – Stress fracture, non unions
• Nerves – Morton’s Neuroma