Shockwave Therapy: The New Treatment for Chronic Pain Relief

If you’ve ever suffered from chronic pain, you know how desperately you need relief. It’s exhausting to feel almost-constant pain, and it becomes your new normal, lowering your quality of life and making it more difficult to do everyday activities.

Shockwave therapy is a fantastic treatment option for those suffering with chronic pain from either injury or illness, and at Delta Physiotherapy & Rehab, we offer this treatment. Keep reading to learn more about chronic pain, what shockwave therapy is, how it works, and how it can help you.

Chronic pain

Chronic pain is long-term pain that continues to plague somebody beyond the usual time it takes to recover from an injury or health condition. Chronic pain is often associated with chronic health conditions such as arthritis. By definition, chronic pain often persists for more than 12 weeks (even with the use of medication or other treatment types).

Chronic pain may be identified by the following:

• Joint pain
• Muscle aches
• Fatigue and loss of stamina
• Sleep issues
• Burning pain/sensation
• Mood disorders (i.e. anxiety, depression)

Chronic pain can be caused by:

• Chronic poor posture
• Injuries caused by improper lifting techniques
• Excessive weight that puts undue strain on the back and knees
• Congenital conditions (i.e. spine curve)
• Sleeping on an unsupportive mattress
• Diseases (ex. Rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis)

An intro to shockwave therapy

Shockwave therapy can help with chronic pain relief. It’s a non-invasive treatment option that’s an alternative to surgery and can often help and provide relief in individuals with joint and tendon disorders.

Shockwave therapy creates wave pulses of energy (low-frequency) that are directly applied to an injury. It’s applied using a gel, and relies on sound waves to treat chronic injuries and pain related to chronic illness.

Shockwave therapy can be performed by a physiotherapist right in the clinic. It’s an excellent treatment option for chronic pain that does not respond to other types of treatment, including exercise, stretches, and more.

What to expect

Your physiotherapist will always assess you first and discuss your pain and issues with you before beginning any treatment. If it’s found that you just aren’t responding to initial treatments (i.e. a customized treatment plan including exercise and stretches), then shockwave therapy is an excellent next step that is sure to help.

During your treatment, this is what you can expect:

1. First, the area that is going to be treated will be located by using hand and finger pressure to identify where the direct location of the pain is (and how far out it radiates).
2. Next, a gel will be applied to the area. This gel is required for the use of shockwave therapy, as it helps transfer the acoustic waves from the treatment into the area.
3. Lastly, the applicator is pushed against the skin to deliver the waves to the muscles/joints.

Does it really work?

Does shockwave therapy really work? Well, it may depend on the extent and type of injury, but it’s especially effective against the following conditions:

• Heel spurs
• Plantar fasciitis
• Tennis elbow
• Shin splints
• Chronic muscular pain in the lower back
• Shoulder, hip, and knee pain related to tendonitis and bursitis

While it may not be effective against every type of chronic pain and may not work for some people, it has been proven to be very effective in helping people manage their pain in these areas, and has a high cost/effectiveness ratio.

At Delta Physiotherapy & Rehab, we understand how difficult it is to deal with chronic pain, and how much you need chronic pain relief if you have a persistent injury or illness causing you discomfort. That’s why we offer a range of services to help you get back to your uninhibited self, and includes shockwave therapy.

Come see us for your chronic pain relief using shockwave therapy; you can book an appointment online or learn more about us by calling 905-270-3086.