Shockwave Therapy

You may be familiar with the term lithotripsy.  Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL) uses high energy shock waves to break up the kidney and gallstones.  It has been around for decades and is the most frequently used procedure for the treatment of kidney stones.  Shockwave Therapy stems from the same safe, highly proven, and highly effective technology.  “Extracorporeal” means that the shockwaves are generated externally to the body and transmitted from a pad through the skin to the area receiving treatment.  Shockwave Therapy is FDA approved for a variety of conditions and there are hundreds of clinical studies proving efficacy. 

For several decades, extracorporeal shock wave therapy has been used to effectively treat a variety of pain syndromes. The shockwave uses high-energy acoustic waves that have much greater pressure and energy than regular sound waves. The energy promotes regeneration and reparative processes of the bones, tendons and other soft tissues. The waves change the structure of the chemical environment of the cell membranes which generates free radicals, which in turn results in the inhibition of pain and inflammation.  The therapy has minimal side effects, although some patients may have increased soreness for a few days after the treatment.  The treatment takes 10-15 minutes. Some patients may feel pain relief in as little as one session.  For maximum benefits, 3+ treatments are recommended.  It has a success rate of about 70-80%.