Theorem Shock-Wave Therapy Treatments
Here at Theorem Health we can offer you one off treatments or package treatments of Shock-wave therapy.
Shock-wave therapy is a multidisciplinary device used in orthopaedics, physiotherapy, sports medicine, urology and veterinary medicine. Its main assets are fast pain relief and mobility restoration. Together with being a non-surgical therapy with no need for painkillers makes it an ideal therapy to speed up recovery and cure various indications causing acute or chronic pain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Shock-wave therapy help me?
Most patients with chronic pain problems have been through various unsuccessful types of treatments.
Up to 80% of the same patients worldwide report that Shock-wave therapy has helped them eliminate their problem.
What doe's the treatment feel like?
There may be a feeling of discomfort during the treatment, depending on the level of pain the patient is already experiencing in the area.
However, since the treatment lasts only about five minutes, most patients are able to tolerate this discomfort. Additionally, the intensity of the treatment can be adjusted throughout the session.
How many treatments will I need?
The number of treatments varies depending on the indication and tissue response.
The effect of the treatment is cumulative, so you will typically need more than one (3–5) treatment.
Very often though, you will experience relief right after the first treatment.
How often will I need the treatment?
Most indications require 3–5 treatments which are done 3–10 days apart, depending on the patient’s tolerance and their tissue response.
Will I feel any pain after the treatment?
Most patients will experience an immediate pain relief following the treatment.
However, within 2–4 hours after the treatment, they may experience some soreness in the treated area.
This soreness has been reported as tolerable and not limiting.
Further Information
Medical Effects
- Acoustic waves with high energy peak used in Shock-wave therapy interact with tissue causing overall medical effects of accelerated tissue repair and cell growth, analgesia and mobility restoration.
- All the processes mentioned in this section are typically employed simultaneously and are used to treat chronic, sub-acute and acute (advanced users only) conditions.
- Chronic inflammation occurs when the inflammatory response is not completely halted.
- It can damage healthy tissue and results in chronic pain. Mast cells are one of the key components of the inflammatory process.
- Their activity may be increased by using pervasive acoustic waves.
- Mast cell activation is followed by the production of chemokines and cytokines.
- These pro-inflammatory compounds first enhance the inflammatory process and in the next step help restore normal healing and regenerative processes.
- Radial pressure waves offer a non invasive treatment solution for long term insertion and soft tissue pathologies. Local treatment of the affected area will enhance and reset the healing pattern, while reducing pain and improving function.
- With very few negative side effects, Radial Pressure Wave therapy is indicated for conditions that are normally very difficult to treat, and is now widely used for many therapeutic and wellness applications.
- Physical effects of radial pressure waves include: pain reduction (Gate Control theory), increased metabolism, as shock-waves influence the tissues on a cellular level, revascularisation effect, where the renewed blood flow promotes tissue healing and regeneration, and muscle tone recovery.
Stimulation of Collagen Production
The production of a sufficient amount of collagen is a necessary precondition for the repair processes of the damaged myoskeletal and ligamentous structures.
Shock-wave therapy accelerates pro-collagen synthesis.
The therapy forces the newly created collagen fibres into a longitudinal structure which makes the newly formed tendon fibers more dense and stiff and creates a firmer structure.
Dissolution of Calcified Fibroblasts
Calcium build-up is most often a result of micro-tears or other trauma to a tendon.
Acoustic waves break up the existing calcifications.
Shock-wave therapy starts the biochemical declassification of the calcium build-up of a toothpaste-like consistency and treats the tendon.
The granular particles of calcium are then removed by the lymphatic system.
Release of Trigger Points
Trigger points are the principal cause of pain in the back, neck, shoulder and limbs.
They are associated with palpable nodules in taut bands of muscle fibers and have extremely contracted sarcomeres.
The dysfunctional sarcomeres contract so tightly that they begin to cut off their own blood supply.
This causes the waste products to build up. Waste product build-up irritates the sensory nerve endings which then causes even more contraction.
this vicious cycle is referred to as “metabolic crisis”. The assumed mechanism of action is that the delivered acoustic energy unblocks the calcium pump and thus reverses the metabolic crisis in the myofilaments and releases the trigger points.
New Blood Vessel Formation
Nutrient blood flow is necessary to start and maintain the repair processes of damaged tissue structure.
The application of acoustic waves creates capillary microruptures in tendon and bone. Due to microruptures the expression of growth factors such as eNOS, VEGF, PCNS and BMP is significantly increased.
As a result of these processes arterioles are remodeled, stimulated to grow and new ones are formed.
The new blood vessels improve blood supply and oxygenation of the treated area and support faster healing of both the tendon and the bone.
Dispersion of Pain Mediator “Substance P”
Substance P is a neurotransmitter that mediates pain information through C-fibers. This neuropeptide is generally associated with intense, persistent and chronic pain.
It relays pain messages to the central nervous system. Lowering the concentration of Substance P reduces the stimulation of afferent nociceptive fibers and thus reduces the pain.
Decreasing Substance P, histamines and other nociceptive metabolites also helps inhibit development of inflammatory oedema. Acoustic waves generated by Shock-wave therapy lower the Substance P concentration and trigger pain relief.
Shockwave Therapy can treat
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Achilles Tendinopathy
- Hamstring Tendinopathy
- Patellar Tendinopathy
- Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy
- Lateral Epicondylitis
- Osgood Schlatter Disease
- Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome
- Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome
- Bone Healing
- Trigger Point Relief
- Cellulite
