Americans are feeling the pain. In any given month, ten percent of American adults use prescription drugs for pain relief. But these drugs rarely work and often lead to dependency.
Americans need more thorough measures. One of them is shockwave treatment. It is an easy and straightforward procedure that can cure a wide range of ailments.
But many people are suspicious of shockwaves. Rumors abound about them, including that they cause heart and psychiatric problems. That is far from the truth.
Get the shockwave therapy facts, and you can get long-lasting pain relief. Here is your guide.
1. Shockwave Treatment Is Invasive
Shockwave treatment is completely non-invasive. It does not require incisions, and you do not need to swallow pills in order for it to work.
A doctor will apply gel to your skin, then place a probe over top. But your skin does not absorb the gel, and the device does not break your skin.
You may experience some mild discomfort as the procedure occurs. This comes from the waves striking your nerves and muscles. They are not damaged and you will be able to remain awake as the procedure takes place.
2. Shockwave Treatment Takes a Lot of Time
Your treatment will not take very long. Procedures vary, but most last less than an hour.
Doctors need to apply gel, then place their device on your skin. You do not need to make preparations at home. Your doctor may advise you to avoid extensive exercise if you have pain, but that is not common.
You may need to receive multiple rounds of therapy in order to experience strong effects. But these rounds are no longer than your first one. You may experience pain relief in a matter of hours.
Recovery from treatments takes little time. You may need to avoid exercises like weight-lifting, but you should be able to return to work the same day.
By contrast, physical therapy can take weeks to work. Most people go to physical therapy for up to eight weeks and only notice pain relief then. Some people have gone to therapy for 20 sessions and never noticed relief.
3. You Must Take Treatment by Itself
You can incorporate shockwave treatment into a pain relief regimen. In fact, the doctor you get your services from may advise you to pursue additional programs.
Seeking psychological therapy can be a good idea. Talking to a therapist can help you develop coping strategies that take your mind off your chronic pain. Deep breathing may relieve some of your symptoms.
You can receive shockwaves while you are on medication. This includes opioids. Make sure you get a prescription from your doctor and that you follow their instructions to the letter.
Physical therapy may help you gain a full range of motion. Try stretching and performing light exercises to increase blood flow to your muscles.
4. Shockwave Treatment Is Like Shock Therapy
One of the most pernicious shockwave treatment myths is that it is shock therapy. Shock therapy, also known as electroconvulsive therapy, involves small electric currents.
A patient receives anesthesia. Doctors then apply electrodes to the patient’s head that send an electric current through the brain. This induces a seizure.
Shockwave treatment is entirely different from shock therapy. There is no anesthetic involved with shockwaves. Shockwaves are not electric currents and they do not cause the pain of electricity.
Electroconvulsive therapy is designed for people suffering from depression and severe psychiatric disorders. Shockwave therapy is for physical pain.
5. It Is Like Radiation Therapy
Radiation is high-intensity energy waves. Radio waves, infrared, and X-rays are all examples of radiation.
But shockwaves are not radiation. They are not made of energy, but they instead involve pressure and density changes in the air.
Radiation therapy is a common treatment for cancer patients. A doctor can use shockwaves for cancer patients if they are suffering from pain. But the two are not interchangeable treatments since shockwaves cannot shrink tumors.
6. It Is Only for Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is the most famous disease that shockwaves treat. Shockwave therapy does work for people with ED. The waves induce stem cells to grow inside the penis, allowing blood to flow in and skin to replenish itself.
But ED is not the only disease that shockwaves can treat. They can relieve pain anywhere in the body, especially close to the skin. They can help with inflamed tendons and joints, prompting stem cells to travel to those areas and heal damaged tissues.
7. Therapy Does Not Work for Acute Pain
Some people who suffer from chronic pain get therapy. This leads people who suffer from temporary injuries and acute pain to believe that therapy will not work for them.
That is not true. Acute injuries are among the many conditions that waves can treat.
Tendinitis is an acute problem for many athletes, especially in their shoulders. Yet just four treatments of shockwaves can diminish pain.
Plantar fasciitis produces incredible foot pain. But four treatments spread across two weeks can provide support to muscles and bones in the feet.
8. It Does Not Provide Psychological Support
Many people who suffer from chronic pain experience psychiatric distress. A 2017 study examined the parts of the brain related to pain and depression. It found that both pain and depression are based in the same locations, meaning one can cause the other.
Shockwaves cannot cure depression. But by reducing physical pain, they can help to relieve psychological pain.
A 2020 study corroborates this connection. Scientists in Turkey examined shockwave therapy for patients with lower back pain. They found that the patients reported reduced depression and anxiety, in addition to less pain.
9. Older People Can’t Use It
There is no limitation for who can use therapy. Elderly adults can receive substantial benefits from it just as younger adults do.
Arthritis is one of the common conditions amongst older adults. It can afflict any joint in the body, including the thumb. Shockwaves can easily treat thumb basal joint arthritis, supporting the nerves and joints alike.
Dupuytren’s disease is a rare but debilitating condition amongst older Americans. It bends fingers, causing them to become permanently flexed. Weekly treatments can provide support to joints, putting fingers in their correct orientation.
10. Shockwave Devices Produce a Lot of Noise
Shockwaves can produce some noise. But most machines are relatively quiet. Your doctor will talk to you during the procedure, and you will be able to hear them while it is ongoing.
If the noise is bothering you, you can ask your doctor to adjust the frequency of the machine. Most machines contain several frequencies, allowing them to treat different ailments.
Lowering the frequency may require you to come back for another round of treatment. But it will keep the noise down a little further. You can also wear ear protection during the procedure if you are concerned.
11. Devices Interfere With the Heart
Shockwaves affect the body by facilitating stem cell and blood cell flow. This causes many people to worry about how they affect their hearts.
People with heart conditions can receive therapy. It may help their conditions as it reduces pain.
You remain seated or you lie down during the procedure. You do not need to speed up or slow your heart for the procedure to work. Therapy will not speed your heart up, so you don’t have to worry about an arrhythmia.
A doctor will never apply a wave to your heart or essential organs. This keeps any risk of damage down. Shockwaves and the devices that produce them do not interfere with pacemakers.
12. You Can Only Receive Shockwave Therapy in a Clinical Setting
For your initial treatments, you should go to a doctor who specializes in providing therapy. This will give you a good sense of how it all works.
Once you are acclimated to it, you can receive the therapy at home. You can ask a professional to give it to you, or you can buy a home machine.
The PhysioLITE II is designed for home use. It has an LCD screen and five-key control, making it easy to use. Treatments can last up to fifteen minutes, providing quick pain relief.
You do not need special training to administer therapy to yourself. You just need to apply the gel and follow the instructions for your particular device.
The Truth About Shockwave Treatment
You deserve the truth about shockwave treatment. It is a non-invasive, non-time-consuming way to relieve pain and cure musculoskeletal problems. You can take it alongside plenty of other treatment regimens.
It has nothing to do with shock or radiation therapy. It works for chronic and acute conditions, and it can work for depression.
Anyone can use it, including those with sensitive hearing. It does not damage the heart in any way. You can even give therapy to yourself at home. Get shockwave therapy tips from experts. Oceanus America provides leading therapy devices. Contact us today.