Tired of chronic pain? Have you tried everything out there only to have the pain return soon after the treatment has stopped? RPW shockwave therapy in London, may be the answer you’re looking for.
The body has a natural physiological process for healing following an injury. Unfortunately timing is everything and more often than not, the healing is delayed, injury is re-aggravated, and chronic pain sets in. How do we get the body to understand that the problem is still there and it hasn’t healed optimally? During Shockwave therapy, a high-intensity sound wave interacts with the tissues of the body (ligaments, tendons, muscles, bones, cartilage). This leads to a cascade of beneficial effects such as increased microcirculation (neovascularisation ingrowth), reversal of chronic inflammation, stimulation of collagen and dissolution of calcium build-up. Stimulation of these biological mechanisms creates an optimal healing environment as physiologically, shockwave therapy can “re-start” the healing phase long after the initial injury or symptoms appeared. As the injured area is returned to normal, functionality is restored and pain is relieved.
A clinical shockwave creates a sonic pulse, much like the air pressure waves generated from an explosion that shatters windows nearby. The primary effect of a shockwave is a direct mechanical force. The exact mechanism by which shockwave therapy acts to treat tissue pathology is not clear, but is based on the inflammatory healing response. It is understood that shockwave therapy causes microtrauma to the diseased/injured tissue. This results in new, focused inflammation, which allows the body to send healing cells and increase the blood flow to the injured site. By recognizing the injured, previously healed area once again, the body will initiate a new healing response in those tissues.
At Alevia in London, shockwaves are used to treat many orthopedic conditions, including plantar fasciitis (heel spurs), patellar tendinitis (jumper’s knee), lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow) and shoulder tendinitis, to name a few. Multiple studies have been conducted to assess the efficacy of shockwave therapy, and current data suggests a positive result with upwards of 78% resolution of symptoms and increased functioning. Contraindications to shockwave therapy include bleeding disorders and pregnancy.
At Alevia Health and Wellness Centre in London we use a low-energy shockwave system (high energy systems are found in hospitals and require general anaesthetic) and are administered in the clinic where anesthesia or injections are not required. A technician places the probe on the area of greatest tenderness and the shockwaves are delivered over a short period of time. Treatment dosage is measured by number of pulses and intensity of those pulses over the affected area. While shockwave is not painful, patients may describe mild discomfort at the treatment site. Patients are usually treated with 3-5 sessions over the course of 3-5 weeks. Between treatments, patients are able to perform all normal daily activities. Some patients report immediate pain relief but the healing response usually requires 6-8 weeks.
