When you hear the term “shockwave therapy,” what does it make you think of? Does it sound like something out of science fiction? Maybe you have an image of old electroshock therapy beds when you hear the term.
Shockwave therapy is nothing like electroshock. This therapy sends pressure waves instead of electrical currents through your body. It does so by using shockwave therapy machines.
These machines are handheld devices with a swift-moving projectile that a compressor controls. With this projectile, the system transmits energy to the applicator that generates shockwaves. You can adjust the frequency and pressure of those waves.
These shockwaves help reduce pain by creating substance P and hyper-stimulating pain sensors. As this occurs, the body restores the affected tissues.
In recent years, shockwave therapy has become more accepted in the medical community. As such, we’ll examine why modern clinics should buy shockwave therapy machines for their practice.
General Effects of Shockwave Therapy Machines
As mentioned above, a shockwave therapy device helps regenerate damaged or affected tissues. Because of this, these devices have several beneficial effects.
One leading benefit is improved blood circulation and neovascularization. This means that the device allows the natural formation of new blood vessels. Furthermore, it increases growth factors in your body.
These effects also help boost the patient’s metabolism. With this increased metabolism, the body can burn calories and lose weight more efficiently. Finally, this therapy helps develop mesenchymal stem cells, which help repair skeletal tissues.
Because of these benefits, shockwave therapy machines can bring relief to many parts of the body. We’ll explore some of these in the following sections.
Where Can You Apply Shockwave Therapy Machines?
There are several complaints that a shockwave therapy device can help treat. Some groups break these into a few categories based on the parts of the body that the device helps. We’ll present these categories below.
Tendons
Tendons suffer several pains and annoyances. Some of the most common complaints include Achilles tendon pain as well as patellar tendons and lateral elbow. With a shockwave therapy machine, your clinic can help relieve these pains.
Bones
When most people think of bone injuries, they often think of breaks. However, other injuries can also affect your bones. These include shin splints and trochanteric pain syndrome.
As seen in the previous section, shockwave therapy increases mesenchymal stem cells. These stem cells help the body mend skeletal issues. As a result, a shockwave therapy device can help relieve and mend problems in your bones.
Muscles
Muscle pain and hypertonia can plague people of all ages. Shockwave therapy can help relieve these pains as well. This capacity makes them useful for physical therapy.
Athletes and manual laborers often suffer from muscular issues. If doctors apply these devices to the trigger points, it can result in relief from pain.
Connective Tissue
Connective tissue helps to support and protect tissues and organs in your body. They also help to give structure to these same tissues.
Examples of this tissue include cartilage, fat, and lymphatic tissue.
Some physical ailments that affect connective tissue include trigger finger and plantar fasciitis. With shockwave treatment, physicians can help to remove the problem.
Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction
One of the most well-documented conditions that shockwave treatment has helped to treat is erectile dysfunction. In particular, shockwave treatment has benefitted men with vasculogenic ED.
A study demonstrated that 20 men with vasculogenic ED experienced an improvement in their conditions. This improvement came after six months of shockwave treatment. When the doctors followed up with these men, they reported no adverse effects.
Typically, a low-pressure form of shockwave therapy helps stimulate the blood vessels. With this stimulation, your body can return to its normal functions. While it may not eliminate erectile dysfunction, it can reduce the symptoms to make it more manageable.
Other Benefits of Shockwave Therapy Machines for Patients
Besides erectile dysfunction, these shockwave therapy devices can help patients who face chronic pain. It helps patients avoid the need for a painkiller prescription. In fact, it can even reduce the need for major surgery.
Instead of pharmaceutical drugs or invasive operations, these devices offer less invasive and stressful methods. These devices instead stimulate the body’s internal healing capabilities.
These devices help avoid surgery or medication by treating the problem at its source. Medication, however, only mediates against symptoms caused by the body’s condition.
As seen with erectile dysfunction, this treatment method often yields successful results. Some estimates place the success rate at upwards of 70%. Moreover, the treatment doesn’t require endless visits.
The majority of shockwave treatments take 6-8 sessions. Some require more visits, while others may need less. The number you require depends on the nature of your injury and its location.
Another benefit of this therapy is its speed. These sessions only last for 8-10 minutes, making it incredibly convenient. This time frame gives the patient a clear picture of how long they’ll be in the doctor’s office and when they can return to their daily life.
As mentioned above, this therapy has few side effects associated with it. On occasion, patients experience red spots on their skin or mild swelling. However, these side effects pale in comparison with side effects induced by some widely prescribed medicines.
Finally, the treatment often takes effect quickly. Many patients report feeling relief after a few days. Some even made full recoveries if their injuries were mild enough.
Start Your Shockwave Treatment Today
If you run a medical clinic, shockwave therapy machines are an excellent resource to have. As you’ve seen, these devices have several benefits that can help patients with many conditions. If you’re wondering where to start with getting your devices, check out some of our work! We specialize in shockwave treatment with excellent results. Check out some of our protocols today.