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Shock Wave Therapy is a natural, non-invasive treatment

Shock Wave Therapy (SWT) is a new proven soft tissue treatment for acute pain, chronic pain, and trigger points. It uses high-intensity sound waves to stimulate your body’s healing response and can be considered a non-invasive treatment of last resort before surgery.

Shock wave therapy relieves pain by essentially waking up your body’s natural healing abilities. It acts as a ‘kickstart’, stimulating your metabolism and increasing blood circulation. New blood vessels grow, tissues regenerate, tendons strengthen and function is restored.

If your aches and pains are reoccurring, long-standing, or have not been fully resolved with traditional methods then Shock Wave Therapy could be the right treatment for you.

What are the benefits of Shock Wave Therapy?

  • Typically, immediate pain reduction
  • Stimulates your body’s own healing ability
  • Improved mobility and functionality
  • Non-invasive, non-surgical
  • No anesthetic or medications
  • No known side effects

What about  Shock Wave Therapy research?

The benefits of Shock Wave Therapy can be found in many publications of the American Journal of Sports Medicine. Shock Wave Therapy is suitable to treat many conditions (see below). Some research examples include:

  • 90% for Plantar Fasciitis (Journal of Orthopedic Research 2003)
  • 91% for Calcific Rotator Cuff Tendonosis (Journal of the American Medical Association 2005)
  • 80% of professional athletes with Chronic Hamstring Tendinopathy returned to their pre-injury level of sport after 3 months of treatment. in Professional Athletes (American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2010)
  • 85% of the treatment group for Medial Tibial Stress syndrome were able to return to their pre-injury sport (American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2010)
  • 77% improvement for Tennis Elbow (Journal of Orthopaedics 2005)
  • 64% Achilles Tendinopathy patients reported complete recovery or much improved  (Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery 2008)

What problems can Shock Wave Therapy help resolve?

  • Foot pain – heel pain, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis
  • Lower back and hip pain
  • Neck and shoulder pain
  • Wrist, hand, thumb, finger pain and carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Elbow pain like tennis elbow and golfers elbow
  • Leg pain like sciatica, knee problems, runners knee, shin splints, hamstring pain
  • Scar tissue treatment
  • Calcific tendonitis and more

What can I expect during my Shock Wave Therapy session?

We assess your injury during your Initial Consultation session. Your chiropractor will discuss treatment options for your injury. We typically use a mix of therapies, including Shock Wave Therapy. Sometimes we may only use Shock Wave Therapy depending on your injury.

Our trained chiropractors use a light hand-held probe applied against your skin. Sound wave pulses (not electrical) are delivered to your injured area. These “shockwaves” are directed in a controlled and focused manner. Each injured area is treated for about 5-10 minutes.

Depending on the area treated and your pain, you can expect some small discomfort. This typically resolves within 24 hours. The intensity of the treatment can also be adjusted. This allows for some analgesic effect at the beginning of each session.

Between treatments, patients are able to perform all normal daily activities.

What precautions are there before using Shock Wave Therapy?

Shock Wave Therapy is not suitable for some people. Please advise your chiropractor if you have one of the following conditions:

  • Pregnancy
  • Diabetes
  • Heart or circulatory problems
  • Bleeding and blood coagulation disorders and, associated medication consumption
  • Cortisone injections one month prior to starting Shock Wave Therapy treatment
  • Skin wound or acute inflammation in treatment area
  • Tumour in or around the treatment area
  • Nerve or blood supply too close to the site of treatment

Contact us now. Active Muscle & Spine is a leading musculoskeletal treatment clinic. We’re located in the Sydney CBD, on Pitt Street, near Martin Place and opposite Angel Pl.

Palpation of your pain spot.
Shock Wave Therapy for Tennis Elbow
Shock Wave Therapy for Back Pain.
Shock Wave Therapy being applied by hand.