Common sports conditions treated by Shockwave Therapy

Date: 13/04/2016

With marathon season approaching and spring nearly upon us, now is a busy time of the year for running. Whether you are an experienced runner on your 10th marathon or attempting your first half marathon, you are more than likely going to be experience some aches and pains along the way.

Spencer Private Hospitals now offers Shockwave Therapy (or Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy to give it its full name), a new treatment that is used to treat soft tissue injuries and conditions. The procedure has proved popular due to being quick, non-invasive but most of all effective. Shockwave Therapy is commonly used to treat sports injuries but other conditions can also be relieved.

Here are a list of conditions that can occur from physical activities such as running, football and racket sports.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is the thickening of the band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot, the Plantar Fascia, resulting in pain in the heel and bottom of the foot. It is common in runners, but can be caused by a number of other factors. Applying Shockwave Therapy to where the tendon meets the heel has been shown to relieve pain in chronic cases of the condition.

Achilles Tendinitis

Another condition that is common among runners but also occurs after many other sports. The Achilles Tendon runs from the heel bone to the calf muscles at the back of the lower leg. Increasing intensity or duration of activity or lots of hill running can increase the strain on the tendon and cause damage and inflammation. Symptoms include pain in the back of the heel or back of the lower leg.

Shoulder Pain

Pain in the shoulder can be caused by a rotator cuff injury or calcification of the shoulder tendons. Shockwave Therapy works to stimulate the growth of new tissue in the tendons, helping the injury to recover and flushing away calcific deposits, improving shoulder movement and reducing pain.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis Elbow refers to pain on the outside of the elbow, usually caused by a repetitive strenuous action and/or overuse use of the elbow joint – not necessarily through playing Tennis! While the condition should heal by itself given enough time and rest, symptoms can last for months and even years. Using Shockwave Therapy has been shown to relieve pain and speed recovery.

Shockwave Therapy offers the following:

• 70 - 80% success rate
• Immediate pain relief
• Normal functional activities
• Non-Invasive
• No Anaesthesia required
• No surgery
• No medication
• Converts chronic inflammatory process to acute inflammation from which body heals itself.
• Just 3 - 5 sessions of 5 - 10 minutes treatments.

Shockwave Therapy is carried out on an outpatient appointment with our trained physiotherapists.

To find out more about Shockwave Therapy please click here