Shockwave Therapy Vancouver

Are you looking for additional treatments or therapies to add to your existing health care plan?  Consider trying shockwave therapy.  In this article, we’ll take a look at what it is, why it may be right for you, the conditions it can help treat, and what to expect of the treatment.

What is Shockwave Therapy?

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy, otherwise known as Shockwave Therapy sounds a lot more complicated that it actually is.  Essentially, the treatment involves the use of a tool that generates very low energy acoustic sound waves that is applied directly to areas of injury or pain.  The pulsations are able to penetrate the body with the help of a gel applied to your skin before the procedure begins.

The Origin of Shockwave Therapy

Originally, the practice of shockwave therapy was restricted to conditions such as gall stones and kidney stones.  Using much stronger pulsations, the treatment was able to successfully break down these stones, thereby allowing them to pass painlessly from the body.

How Shockwave Therapy Works

Using a much lower degree of energy than is used in cases of gall stones or kidney stones, shockwave therapy focuses on treatment of musculoskeletal conditions that centre around connective tissues.  When the body has problems with tendons or ligaments, shockwave therapy can help by breaking down scar tissues and increasing blood flow circulation, both critical factors in the healing of injuries.

Our device is hand made in Switzerland by STORZ. Our Shockwave device is used in teaching institutions as part of the curriculum and reports a 91 % success rate according to clinical studies. Teaching institutions such as the University of Calgary, University of Toronto, Carlton University, Queens University, CMCC (chiropractic college), Duke University, and Cleveland clinic all have the device as part of their curriculum. Numerous professional sports teams rely on our device to help athletes recover faster. The NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS and the ATP tour all use shockwave technology to help their athletes recover. 

Your Vancouver Chiropractor will use a special tool that is applied to areas that need treatment, and through a special conductive gel, the shock waves will deeply penetrate the area, bringing much needed healing and relief.

Which Treatments Can Be Treated by Shockwave Therapy?

Shockwave therapy is actually highly beneficial in treating a whole host of conditions and injuries.  Typically, the treatment is offered by chiropractors in a rehabilitative setting.   Patients who suffer from the following will definitely experience significant improvement after a regular course of shockwave therapy:

• Connective tissue issues such as tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome
• Heel problems such as plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis and heel spurs
• Other foot problems such as arch pain
• Shoulder problems including issues with rotator cuffs, frozen shoulder, and other range of motion problems
• Bone spurs and calcifications
• Elbow conditions such as tennis and golfer’s elbow
• Knee and shin problems
• Hip problems
• Neck issues such as pain, stiffness and reduced range of motion

Is Shockwave Therapy Successful?

Studies show that over eighty percent of patients who receive a regular course of shockwave therapy (three to four sessions) report that their pain has been significantly reduced, and that they are much closer to a return to normal function of the affected area.

EFFECTIVENESS

IMPROVEMENT FOR CALCIFIC TENDINITIS 91%
IMPROVEMENT FOR CALCIFIC TENDINITIS OF THE SHOULDER 83%
IMPROVEMENT FOR TENNIS ELBOW 77%
IMPROVEMENT FOR ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY 76%
IMPROVEMENT FOR PLANTAR FASCIITIS 90%
IMPROVEMENT FOR RADIAL AND ULNAR HUMERAL EPICONDYLITIS 80%
IMPROVEMENT FOR PATELLAR TENDINITIS/ ACHILLODYNIA 88%
IMPROVEMENT FOR MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINTS 80%

Source: http://shockwavecanadainc.ca/treatable-conditions-effectiveness/

What are the Benefits?

The benefits are quite basic and obvious!  Shockwave therapy is a low cost non-invasive treatment that is generally safe.  You won’t be required to take any drugs or anesthesia before the treatment, and following treatment, you’ll be able to return to your regular normal everyday activities with no down time.  At most, you may experience mild soreness for a few hours after treatment, and possibly a bit of swelling.  This is to be expected and indicates that the treatment is working by stimulating the inflammatory process within your body.

Shockwave therapy is an excellent choice for many different conditions and continues to gain traction in sports medicine as a rehabilitative treatment that is very effective at managing pain from injuries and chronic conditions.

Are There any Associated Risks?

Generally, there are known risks with shockwave therapy, however certain conditions may prevent or delay this type of treatment.  These conditions include the following:

• Open wounds or rashes on the treatment area
• Cancerous tumors or lesions
• Infections
• Pregnancy or if you are trying to get pregnant

Additionally, certain factors and/or situations may rule out shockwave therapy as a treatment option.  If you suffer from certain circulation problems, nerve diseases, have any metal prosthesis (plates or pins), or use anti-coagulants for a blood or heart condition, shockwave therapy probably is not right for you.  And finally, the treatment should only be performed on patients eighteen years or older, as up until the age of 18, growth plates within the musculoskeletal system may still be growing.

How to Get Started

If you think shockwave therapy may be helpful for your condition, the first thing to do is to come into BROADWAY AT YEW CHIROPRACTIC & MASSAGE for a consultation.  During your consultation, your Chiropractor will assess your medical history including history of injuries or illness.  Next, we’ll put together a treatment plan that may also include other therapies such as massage, chiropractic and exercises you can do at home.

During your first treatment, your Chiropractor will perform the shockwave therapy.  A typical session will last between ten and fifteen minutes.  Depending on your treatment plan, you may also receive other types of treatments immediately following shockwave therapy.

Once all of your treatments have been completed for the day, you’ll be able to return to your normal routine without any downtime.  An important thing to note however is that even if you do experience mild tenderness or swelling, you should not take any anti-inflammatory medications like NSAIDs or aspirin.  If you really need to, take a nice warm bath or hot shower and you’ll be good as new in no time.

Summary

Shockwave therapy is fast becoming one of the top treatments for all sorts of conditions.  If you suffer from pain due to injuries or an inflammatory condition, give us a call at BROADWAY AT YEW CHIROPRACTIC & MASSAGE.  One of our Vancouver Chiropractors can put together a treatment plan that uses all natural drug-free therapies that will have you on your way back to feeling great in no time!