What You Should Know about Shock Wave Therapy

We all know  that in  most cases,  surgery is the last choice of treatment for most  Consequently,  more and more people want to know about shock wave  therapy. If you are not   familiar with it, it is a non-invasive method that   uses  sound waves to treat some musculoskeletal conditions. Some of those conditions include degenerated tendons, and heel pain, among others.

Details of the Procedure

A probe is applied to the skin and an electrical charge then creates a wave that is concentrated on the problem area. The shock waves then create a force that could induce healing. Some people wonder how this healing approach works and it may be because shock waves cause inflammation and when blood flow is improved, the body is naturally encouraged to repair itself.

This is basically an outpatient procedure. A little pain may be felt so a local or regional anaesthetic may be requested. But low energy shock wave therapies are performed without any form of anaesthesia because studies show that active participation during the therapy can make this treatment more effective.

Are There Potential Complications?

Complications may include pain and hypersensitivity of the site of treatment, but these typically resolve themselves in time.

What’s Next after the Procedure?

It is noted that patients sometimes bear weight after a treatment. Patients are often adviced to reduce their physical activities especially for the first two weeks after the treatment is done. Good outcome is expected after a shock wave therapy, especially for problems with tendons and some chronic degenerative conditions.

When should  this Therapy be Avoided?

Complications, indeed, are infrequent when it comes to shock wave therapy. But this method is not to be used in patients who have seizures or have heart conditions.  To find out if shock wave therapy is suitable for you, call  our podiatry office at Eglinton and Bayview at 416-486-9917   to find out what is best for you.

Can I Choose This Over Surgery?

 In most cases, because shockwave  treatment for problems such as heel pain due to plantar fasciitis, will make surgery unnecessary is basically a non-invasive treatment, it is definitely one way for a patient to avoid surgery. However, because responses do vary, we cannot fully guarantee that the therapy would succeed every single time.