Everything You Need to Know About Shockwave Therapy

A non-invasive treatment for treating muscle injury and breaking kidney stones, shockwave therapy is an innovative concept that uses low energy acoustic wave pulsations to assist your body to activate its natural healing response. Since the therapy helps in reducing pain naturally, it will keep you away from painkillers, helping you lead a healthier life. The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and US Food and Drug Administration considers shockwave therapy as an effective treatment to reduce chronic pain and eliminate kidney and gallstones.

It was developed more than 50 years ago in Germany and is today used in physiotherapy, sports medicine, orthopedics, veterinary science, and urology.

How does shockwave therapy work?

Shockwave therapy uses non-electric acoustic shockwaves through a special wand hand piece to stimulate natural healing.

When pressure is applied, the shockwaves produce bubbles inside your body, which expand and then burst to create waves.

These waves travel through multiple tissue layers to reach the connective tissue, where you are experiencing the pain. The treatment boosts metabolism and improves blood circulation to help your body deliver the right nutrients to speed up recovery. When you first visit a chiropractor, they will assess your eligibility for the treatment and help you understand more about your condition to develop a treatment plan with maximum results.

It is a combination of multiple treatments, including:

1. The main treatment
2. Posture-improving exercises
3. Activity modification

At Iceberg Health, our therapists use a special custom-made device to achieve maximum results. Other chronic pain issues that can be treated with the therapy include tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, rotator cuff, and jumper’s knee, most of which are caused by overindulging in sports.

Benefits of shockwave therapy

1. Chronic inflammation reversal

There have been several studies that prove that shockwave therapy reverses chronic inflammation. Astudy conducted on adhesive capsulitis patients showed incredible results. Adhesive capsulitis is an extremely painful disorder that increases the size of an organ, which leads to loss of flexibility and difficulty in performing daily activities. It causes chronic inflammation along with extreme pain.

2. Improves tendon health

Shockwave therapy has shown great results when it comes to collagen synthesis. In a study conducted in University of Rome, it was found that shockwave therapy accelerated tendon repair and improved the health of all cells in the target area. If you have tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, swimmer’s shoulder or achilles tendinitis this means a speedier recovery for you! They studied shockwave therapy’s effect on tenocytes, or tendon cells, a type of muscle cell in the human body.

3. Makes you less sensitive to pain

Some people are more sensitive to pain than others. It is because they have a high levels of substance P, which is a chemical neurotransmitter that makes you feel more pain. It also causes more inflammation that leads to secondary pain (pain in other areas), which makes the pain more unbearable.

If you suffer from chronic pain or random pains, shockwave therapy is a great treatment to permanently reduce it. Depending on the severity of your issue, it may take several sessions to get rid of the pain.

4. Improves blood supply

Shockwave therapy uses the principle of vasodilation to improve blood supply and relieve tension in the joints. It promotes the production of cells as increased blood cell supply assists in transporting nutrients to all parts of the body. It is an excellent treatment for those who regularly suffer from muscle cramps as it clears up the friction and enables blood and nutrient supply.

Cramps are caused by a  lack of oxygen and nutrients reaching the body part. Athletes should use this therapy to promote muscle growth and relax their bodies after a long workout or training session as recovery is faster with improved blood supply.

5. Helps in breaking kidney stones

If you are experiencing sharp pain in your lower abdomen, you should get checked for kidney stones. They are painful, especially when you have to pass them on your own. Shockwave therapy breaks the stones in smaller pieces, making them easy to pass. However, the stones have to be smaller than 2 centimetres as it isn’t as effective with bigger stones.

In the same manner, the therapy can be used to break calcium buildup in muscles and joints. You may have this condition if you feel pain in your shoulder or if any of your muscles or tendons appear swollen. It can cause extreme pain and cause an inability to perform daily activities including walking, cooking, and even taking a bath.

6. Quick recovery

Since shockwave therapy is non-invasive, you can get back to work in just 24 hours. Some people experience mild pain after the treatment but you likely don’t have to worry about it as your body’s natural healing process is kicking into action. Shockwave therapy is often more effective than corrective surgeries, which don’t always guarantee promised results.

Visit us to know more about the treatment

Say goodbye to chronic pain and joint pain in just six weeks with Iceberg Health. We offer you a free consultation with one of our expert therapists who will assess your eligibility for shockwave therapy.

At Iceberg Health, we strongly believe that you can overcome chronic pain and discomfort with non-invasive therapies that assure permanent results. Before you visit, give us a call at 678-505-0000 to claim your free consultation.