If you含羞草研究社檝e been struggling with chronic painful conditions like tennis elbow or plantar fasciitis, a new physiotherapy treatment may help you turn the corner on recovery.
Shockwave, a familiar tool in other areas of medicine, is proving useful in physiotherapy for patients who haven含羞草研究社檛 responded to other treatment for chronic tendinopathies 含羞草研究社� commonly referred to as tendinitis, explains Annick deGooyer, physiotherapist and Clinic Director .
Whether from sport, over-use or repetitive strain, common conditions Shockwave might help include tennis elbow, achilles, rotator cuff, plantar fasciitis, jumper含羞草研究社檚 knee or calcific tendinitis of the shoulder.
含羞草研究社淗aving shockwave available to use with our patients means we have another tool for stubborn, chronic tendinopathy,含羞草研究社� deGooyer says, noting Shockwave is available in Lifemark含羞草研究社檚 Capital News Centre, Richter and West Kelowna clinics.
含羞草研究社淭here are some tendon conditions that just don含羞草研究社檛 seem to respond to all the things that typically help, and it含羞草研究社檚 exciting for us to have something that has been shown to be effective in these conditions.含羞草研究社�
Shockwave as physiotherapy: what is it?
Originally developed for use in treating kidney stones, Shockwave therapy is becoming more common in the field of physiotherapy, where it uses a much lower energy than in medical applications.
Shockwave therapy, or extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), treats a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, primarily those involving connective tissues such as ligaments and tendons. Emitting high-energy pulses through the tissue being treated, Shockwave causes localized microtrauma which stimulates the body含羞草研究社檚 healing processes and cell growth.
What does Shockwave treatment look like?
Each patient is assessed by their physiotherapist at their first visit to confirm whether they含羞草研究社檙e an appropriate candidate for Shockwave therapy.
含羞草研究社淲e ensure they含羞草研究社檙e educated in their condition and what they may need to be doing in conjunction with treatment, such as activity modification or specific exercises,含羞草研究社� deGooyer says. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檒l also assess any contributing issues such as posture or tightness/weakness of other muscle groups.含羞草研究社�
Shockwave treatment is usually performed weekly for three to six weeks, depending on results. While the treatment can cause mild discomfort, it only lasts four to five minutes, and physiotherapists can adjust the intensity to keep it comfortable.
含羞草研究社淎s physiotherapists we can get as frustrated as our patients when they don含羞草研究社檛 get better, so we含羞草研究社檙e happy to be able to offer another option,含羞草研究社� she says.
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provides rehabilitation, medical assessments, seniors wellness and sport medicine programs at more than 140 locations across Canada. Kelowna residents have four Lifemark clinics to choose from:
, 104-1634 Harvey Ave., 250-860-4122
, 301-3330 Richter St., 250-762-3322
, 200-4105 Gordon Dr., 250-764-7505
, 111 - 2231 Louie Dr. 250-768-7101