What is shockwave therapy?
Shockwave therapy is a treatment modality that promotes healing in damaged tissues, helping to relieve pain and improve function. During a treatment high-energy sound waves pass through the skin to the injured area, using a specialised device. It works by increasing blood flow, breaking down adhesions and calcifications, and reducing pain-causing biochemical factors, offering faster recovery with minimal side effects. In short, shockwave therapy treats where our hands can’t.
What can shockwave therapy help with?
- Patella (knee) tendinopathy
- Plantar fasciitis (policeman’s heel)
- Achilles tendinopathy
- Calcific tendinopathy
- Rotator cuff (shoulder) tendinopathy
- Tennis and golfer’s elbow
- Great trochanter (hip) pain syndrome
- Insertional hamstring tendinopathy
What are the benefits?
- Shockwave therapy stimulates the body’s natural mechanisms to speed up healing and resolve pain.
- Shockwave therapy is effective and backed by many research studies.
- Shockwave therapy is safe, with the most common side effects being redness, swelling and pain at the site of application.
- Shockwave is non-invasive (above the skin),thereby decreasing the risk of infection.
What To Expect
How many treatments are needed?
A course of treatment is required and typically involves 5 sessions, with each session lasting between 5 to 20 minutes. Treatments are usually scheduled one week apart for optimal results.
How much does it cost?
Healing is a process, not an event, and shockwave therapy reflects this. Like building fitness through consistent workouts, it requires multiple sessions to gradually stimulate the body’s natural healing and recovery mechanisms.
A package of 5 shockwave treatments cost £375, prepaid at the time of booking.
Please be aware you will need to see a chiropractor for a new patient appointment before booking the package.
Booking in for shockwave therapy
If you are new to the clinic, you’ll start with an initial chiropractic consultation where your history will be taken, you’ll be examined and your diagnosis will be explained. In some cases, onward referral for an ultrasound, MRI or other clinical investigations may be required.
If shockwave therapy is suitable for your condition, it will be recommended as part of a treatment plan, which may also include chiropractic care, massage therapy, exercise or nutritional guidance.
Shockwave therapy is like a workout for your body—just as you wouldn’t expect to get fit after one gym session, weekly treatments are needed to fully stimulate repair and recovery. For this reason, we prebook your care package after your initial consultation. If shockwave therapy isn’t appropriate, an alternative treatment plan will be discussed.
What can I expect during a shockwave treatment?
Your therapist will discuss your current symptoms and locate the painful area within the injured tissue. The area will be marked with a marker, to ensure the identified injured tissue receives most of the energy waves. A jelly-like substance is then applied to the skin overlying the site of injury, this ensures optimal contact between tissues and the shockwave handheld device.
The therapist will deliver the treatment by applying the handheld device to the injured tissues for a few minutes. This will be done at a manageable intensity, and you’ll feel pulsations and hear clicking sounds as the energy waves stimulate healing.
During your treatment the energy waves may be adjusted for you to receive a therapeutic (helpful) and tolerable dose. You may feel some discomfort, but it should remain tolerable. During your session, your therapist will continually ask for your feedback. As the saying goes: “You must feel it to heal it”. At the end of the treatment, the therapist will clean the skin of excess gel and provide you with some aftercare advice.
What can I expect after treatment?
Whilst some patients notice immediate changes, most patients do take a few weeks to respond and improve. It is normal to experience a level of pain a few hours following your treatment. This is because the body’s natural healing mechanisms have been stimulated. If you have any concerns, please get in contact with your practitioner. Your therapist may advise you on the most appropriate rehabilitation exercises to further promote tissue healing and success rates, but we advise against exercising the treated area for 24 hours after shockwave therapy. We also advise against taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications or applying ice on the treated area. This is because these actions will reduce the healing effect of the shockwave therapy.