By Andrew Siyabalawatte, 2021
What is Shockwave Therapy?
Shockwave Therapy, also known as Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT), is a clinically proven and highly effective treatment for chronic soft tissue injuries.
How Does Shockwave Therapy Work?
The aim of this treatment is to repair tissues that are not healing well or functioning properly. For example, injured muscle tissue from repetitive hamstring injuries.
It produces a rapid increase in blood flow to the injured area which is lacking blood flow, in order to break down scar tissue which builds up over the duration that the injury is still present. This is more common in soft tissue conditions such as Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy and Achilles Tendinopathy
By increasing blood flow and breaking down scar tissue, shockwave therapy will stimulate repair and promote normal healing, which will substantially reduce pain and restore normal tissue function.
The longer the injury is present, the more likely scar tissue buildup will occur as this is the body’s defence mechanism to protect the area of injury and attempt to heal thus, allowing you to function.
At this stage, pain may or may not be present, but there may be more often than not, limited mobility of the area.
Why is Scar Tissue Build Up a Problem?
Scar tissue is inflexible, non-elastic and will prevent normal movement and function, thereby weakening the unaffected tissue surrounding it, often causing further damage and pain.
Here at Back To Health Wellness, we have treated repetitive, chronic soft tissue conditions such as Plantar Fasciitis and Rotator cuff Tendinopathy effectively and with excellent post treatment results. We achieve this by combining shockwave therapy with Massage Therapy and Osteopathy. Get in Touch to find out more!
Check out this published Article by Dr Cathy Speed on the effectiveness of Shockwave Therapy on soft tissue conditions untitled (ahpsuffolk.co.uk)