At Body Smart Health, our focus goes beyond simply alleviating your pain and dysfunction symptoms. Our primary goal is to identify and address the root causes so you can live your life pain free. Our team of board-certified healthcare professionals is dedicated to delivering the highest quality one-on-one patient care, using shockwave physical therapy techniques and methods proven to be effective. Rest assured, your healthcare needs are in good hands with us, as we strive to provide safe, intelligent, and effective solutions tailored to your unique situation.
The goal of physiotherapy is to enhance, sustain, and recover an individual’s full movement and functional capacity. Physiotherapists serve individuals of all ages and can assist with maintaining mobility and function that may be impacted by factors such as aging, diseases, conditions, injuries, or environmental factors. The main focus of physiotherapy is to improve an individual’s overall quality of life, taking into consideration their physical, emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Physiotherapists operate in several areas of health, including promotion, prevention, treatment, intervention, and rehabilitation.
Shockwave therapy is a cutting-edge solution for injury repair that is quickly gaining popularity across the country. Shockwaves occur naturally in nature, such as during lightning strikes or when a plane surpasses the speed of sound. In the medical field, shockwaves have been utilized to disintegrate kidney stones without surgical intervention for 40 years. It was discovered over 25 years ago that shockwaves could even promote healing in bones that were previously unresponsive to treatment. Scientists found that this special type of sound wave could stimulate the regeneration of bones, tendons, ligaments, and other cells in chronic injuries.
What Does Shock Wave Therapy Do?
Radial shock waves are created through compressed air that drives a metal projectile in the handpiece held by the physiotherapist against the patient’s skin. The impact of the projectile on the shock transmitter located at the end of the handpiece transforms the energy into acoustic pulses or radial shock waves. These shock waves then penetrate the underlying tissues, such as skin and muscle, to a depth of up to 5 cm. Shockwave therapy accelerates the healing process by improving blood flow to affected areas, resulting in faster pain relief and improved chronic inflammation. It also stimulates the growth of collagen which provides support to the tissue and dissolves calcium deposits which may be causing pain. Shockwave therapy can be used on tendons, bones, muscles, and connective tissue. The sensation is characterized by a rapid and firm tapping, accompanied by deep vibrations in the treated area. Following the therapy, there may be temporary redness of the skin, and you may experience a reduction or temporary increase in pain. In many cases, re-assessment shows improved flexibility and range of motion due to the decrease in pain and muscle tension. It is normal to experience a dull or diffuse ache for a few hours to a day after the therapy.
The Benefits of Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy is an effective pain relief method. The intense impulses from the shockwaves activate specific neurons in the pain pathway to the brain, leading to the inhibition of pain signals from the affected area. This effectively “blocks” the pain you were previously experiencing. You can also expect increased metabolism since the environment of the cells and nerves is altered after therapy causing a “flush” of pain and inflammatory substances and an increase in oxygen levels in the area. Over time and repeated treatments, new blood vessels also form in the area (neovascularization) and existing vessels may increase in diameter, resulting in increased blood flow to the injured area and promoting healing. Pain often results in protective muscle tightening or “bracing,” but shockwaves can break the pain-spasm cycle allowing for more normal movement and reducing muscle tightness which in turn helps reduce pain. Research shows therapy can be effective in dissolving calcium deposits in tendons, such as in calcific tendinosis of the rotator cuff and Achilles tendon.
Shockwave therapy provides physiotherapists with an additional option for managing persistent, long-standing tendinopathies. Some tendon conditions can be resistant to conventional forms of treatment, and the availability of shockwave therapy offers physiotherapists a new tool in their toolkit. This form of therapy can be especially beneficial for individuals with chronic tendinopathies (lasting more than six weeks) that have not responded to previous treatments. Our health experts at Body Smart Health & Fitness would be delighted to talk to you and advise you of your next steps. To ask us questions about services or book an appointment, please feel free to give us a call at (604) 888-1177 to help people achieve, regain, and maintain a healthy active lifestyle.