Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy: Innovative Relief for Chronic Pain
Dealing with chronic pain can be exhausting, limiting your ability to stay active and enjoy life. Whether it’s your heels, Achilles tendons, or even your knees that are bothering you, chronic lower limb pain can really hold you back.
But there’s good news—Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy is an innovative and non-invasive treatment that could provide the relief you’ve been searching for.
Here’s how this cutting-edge therapy works, and why it’s making waves in the world of pain relief:
What Is Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy?
Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) might sound complicated, but the concept is simple. It’s a treatment that uses low-energy acoustic sound waves to target the painful areas of your body. These shockwaves penetrate deep into your tissues (up to 5cm) and trigger your body’s natural healing processes. By increasing blood flow and stimulating metabolic activity around the site of pain, ESWT helps to accelerate recovery and reduce discomfort.
The best part? It’s completely non-invasive. Unlike surgery or injections, ESWT doesn’t require any cutting or puncturing of the skin, so there’s no downtime or recovery period to worry about. You can get back to your day-to-day activities right after treatment!
What Can ESWT Help With?
At the New Milton Foot Clinic, we use ESWT to treat a variety of chronic conditions, particularly those that affect the lower limbs. These include:
Achilles Tendon Problems
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS)
Osteoarthritis of the Knee
Whether you’ve been dealing with a nagging pain in your heel or discomfort in your knee, ESWT is designed to target these types of issues and get you moving comfortably again.
How Does the Treatment Work?
When you undergo ESWT, our team uses a device that delivers gentle shockwaves directly to the area that’s causing you pain. These sound waves encourage your body to increase blood flow to the affected tissues, promoting faster healing. In some cases, the therapy may also help break down scar tissue or calcifications that could be contributing to your pain.
ESWT is particularly effective because it tackles the root cause of the discomfort rather than just masking the pain. By stimulating the body’s natural healing mechanisms, this treatment offers a more long-term solution than medications or temporary fixes.
After initial consultation and following the consent process, the treatment is delivered – often – for example – if treating the Achilles Tendon, we will work on the other muscles to work on the kinetic chain which many patients find beneficial, and most patients feel a significant reduction in pain after their first session.
How Many Sessions Will I Need?
The number of sessions needed will depend on how long you’ve been experiencing pain. If your symptoms have been around for less than six weeks, we typically recommend four weekly sessions. For those who have had pain for six months or more, you may need additional treatments to get the full benefit. But don’t worry—your podiatrist will guide you through the process and help determine the best course of action based on your individual needs.
Is It Safe?
Yes! ESWT is a safe, FDA-approved treatment that’s largely free of side effects. Most patients tolerate the therapy very well, and because it’s non-invasive, there’s no risk of infection or complications that can come with more invasive procedures. That said, not every treatment is suitable for everyone, which is why an initial consultation with one of our podiatrists is essential to ensure ESWT is right for you.
Why Choose ESWT?
There are a lot of reasons to consider ESWT if you’re dealing with chronic pain. Unlike surgery, steroid injections, or long-term medication use, this therapy provides a more natural, holistic approach to healing. It encourages your body to do the work of recovery, all without the need for more invasive treatments or drugs.
At the New Milton Foot Clinic, we use top-of-the-range technology, including the DolorClast® machine, to ensure you’re getting the best possible results. In clinical trials, patients have reported excellent outcomes, particularly for conditions like plantar fasciitis, where pain relief is often felt after just a few sessions.
If you’re tired of living with chronic pain and are looking for a treatment that’s both effective and gentle on your body, click here or call 01425 638474 to book a consultation at our New Forest podiatry clinic.