Shockwave Therapy Edmonton
What is Shockwave Therapy?
At River Stone our practitioners are UnPain certified shockwave specialists! The therapy uses acoustic pulses (not electrical!) that are made using compressed air. The pulses pass through the skin and into the tissue to reduce hypertonicity in the muscle and stimulate a regeneration process. As specialists, we know how to address your pain or injury without causing you more pain from the treatment.
What Does Shockwave Therapy Treat?
Shockwave can be used to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. Chronic pain from conditions like tendonitis, golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow or plantar fasciitis are effectively treated with shockwave. We also use shockwave to provide relief from tight or spastic muscles, including tight neck, shoulder and back muscles that lead to headaches and decreased range of motion. Shockwave can also be used to reduce pain and discomfort from conditions like bone spurs and neuromas.
Does It Hurt?
At River Stone, we have often heard people saying they tried shockwave and it was painful. Causing more pain is not the goal of shockwave! Our practitioners have been highly trained to deliver the treatment without causing significant pain. Shockwave can cause two types of discomfort during treatment. The first is a snapping feeling on the skin, and the second is a knocking feeling in the tissue. Usually the snapping sensation occurs when the wand is held lightly on the skin. The second sensation is typical of a standard shockwave treatment. If the area being treated is in pain already, there will be some discomfort during treatment. Many times, however, this sensation passes in the first few seconds and the treatment begins to feel good, in spite of the knocking sensation. Our practitioners will start at low settings and gradually work up to higher pressure to ensure that you are comfortable at all times during the treatment.
How Many Treatment Will I Need?
After each treatment, the tissues may feel a bit tender for a day or so, and some reddening on the skin may occur. This is completely normal. Typically we will do 3 treatments, each up to a week apart. After the first 3 treatments, we will wait for a few weeks to see the results. Some people feel relief immediately after treatment. If we need to do more treatments, another 2 treatments may be done. After 3-5 treatments, the shockwaves will have started a regeneration cycle in the tissue, and changes and improvement will continue for up to three months after the last treatment. Typically we don’t do shockwave with a manual treatment, because that can be too much for the tissue. Shockwave can be effectively combined with a laser treatment.