The Benefits and Use of Pressure Wave Therapy

Pressure wave therapy, or extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), is a noninvasive treatment for soft tissue and tendon injuries. It involves delivering acoustic shock waves to the injured area in order to stimulate healing and relieve pain. It is a safe and effective method to deal with recurrent injuries and chronic pain.

What is pressure wave therapy?

Pressure wave therapy uses an acoustic wave with a high energy peak. It delivers that energy to the affected tissues through an applicator. The application of energy may cause some discomfort but the treatment typically lasts only a few minutes and the subsequent pain relief and accelerated healing more than make up for the temporary discomfort. Although you will be advised to rest the affected area for 24-48 hours after treatment, there are no side effects and no anesthesia is required. The effects of treatment are cumulative, and often three to five treatments are necessary to achieve maximum results.

How does pressure wave therapy work?

Applying this energy to injured tissues and tendons does several things.

First of all, it stimulates blood flow to the area. To heal, tissues need nutrient rich blood flow. Pressure wave therapy creates micro-ruptures in the capillaries in the affected area, which stimulates an increase in the factors that repair and create new blood vessels. The result is increased blood flow and quicker healing.

Next, pressure wave therapy activates mast cells. Mast cells are responsible for stimulating inflammatory response, which is important for healing, and they are also responsible for halting that inflammation once the injury is healed. Chronic inflammation that does not resolve is a source of pain and disease, so it is important that once it has done its job, the inflammatory response decreases and the body moves to regeneration.

Pressure wave therapy stimulates the production of pro-collagen which is necessary for healing. The body forms new collagen fibers to heal the injury.

Pressure wave therapy also works to dissolve calcification. Micro-tears can cause a build-up of calcium in an area, and the acoustic waves help break up that calcification so that the lymph system can remove it from the area.

These are all ways that pressure wave therapy stimulates healing and the regeneration of injured tissues. Pressure wave therapy also works directly on pain receptors as well, which is how it offers immediate pain relief. Pressure wave therapy can lower the concentration of substance P, which is a neurotransmitter that mediates pain information in the nervous system. This triggers pain relief. It also releases trigger points in the myofacial tissue, which results in pain relief as well.

What conditions can be treated by pressure wave therapy?

• jumper’s knee
• heal spur
• shoulder pain
• hip pain
• tennis elbow
• insertional pain (Achilles tendon)
• chronic tendinopathy
• medial tibial stress syndrome
• calcifications

If you are experiencing chronic pain, talk to your chiropractor about pressure wave therapy for pain relief and to speed healing.