Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) is a relatively new treatment used in podiatry to treat chronic foot and leg pain. It has been the centre of many clinical studies and has been shown to be up to 80% effective in reducing long term pain.
Shockwave Therapy was first introduced as a medical treatment to eliminate kidney stones without the need for surgery, over 20 years ago. What does this have to do with feet? nothing! Today, Shockwave Therapy is used to treat a range of orthopaedic conditions because it has been proven to stimulate bone healing and accelerates tissue repair.
Shockwave therapy is highly-effective and non-invasive.
How does Shockwave Therapy Work?
The Shockwave hand-piece is placed against the skin allowing it to transmit high energy radial pressure waves (shock waves) to the area inside your foot which is causing pain. The response is increased metabolic activity at the area of pain, stimulating and accelerating your body’s own healing process.
Common conditions treated with Shockwave Therapy at Armidale Podiatry:
- Plantar fasciitis, heel pain, heel spurs
- Achilles tendinitis/tendinopathy
Shockwave Therapy is recommended for stubborn pain which is not responding to conservative treatment.
Benefits
What To Expect
- In-clinic walk-out treatment – go about your normal daily routine afterwards.
- Treatment sessions are approximately 20-30 minutes in duration
- No pain medication required
- No negative side effects and non-invasive (no injections)
Does Shockwave Therapy hurt?
You will experience mild discomfort during your treatment session. The treatment can be stopped at any time and settings can be adjusted.
How many treatment sessions are needed to improve my condition?
On average, 3-4 treatment sessions spaced one-week apart.
The benefits of shockwave begin after your first treatment session, we expect that your pain will continue to decrease each week, as the results are cumulative.
Can anyone be treated with Shockwave Therapy?
This type of treatment is not advised if you are pregnant, taking blood thinning medication or have had a recent cortisone injection (within 6 weeks) into the area.