Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive treatment that involves creating a series of low energy acoustic wave pulsations that are directly applied to an injury through a person’s skin via a gel medium. The concept and technology originally evolved from the discovery that focused sound waves were capable of breaking down kidney and gallstones. Since then, the technology has been proven successful in a number of scientific studies for the treatment of chronic conditions. Many people report that their pain is reduced and mobility improved after the first Shockwave therapy treatment.

How does shockwave therapy work?

Shockwave therapy is a modality that is becoming more common in health clinics. Using a much lower energy than in medical applications, shockwave therapy, or extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), is used in the treatment of many musculoskeletal conditions, primarily those involving connective tissues such as ligaments and tendons.

Shockwave therapy offers practitioners at Optimum another option for stubborn, chronic injuries.  Some tendon conditions are resistant to traditional forms of treatment, and having the ability to utilize shockwave therapy treatment allows practitioners another tool in their arsenal. Shockwave therapy is most suited for people who have longstanding (ie greater than six weeks) tendinopathies (commonly referred to as tendinitis) which haven’t responded to other treatments.  Common conditions that show treatment effectiveness include: tennis elbow, achilles, rotator cuff, plantar fasciitis, jumpers knee, and calcific tendinitis of the shoulder.

For access to available research on Shockwave therapy click here