ESWT, or extracorporeal shockwave therapy, is an 18-minute long non-surgical medical procedure to treat Achilles tendonitis, tennis elbow, chronic plantar fasciitis, shoulder tendonitis, and other chronic tendinopathies.
Don’t confuse ESWT with Lithotripsy even though both procedures use a similar approach to therapeutic care. Lithotripsy, on the other hand, is primarily used for breaking up and scattering kidney stones. The uses of ESWT are on a broader scale as compared to Lithotripsy as it can help a number of ailments in different parts of the body.
Is ESWT an Effective Treatment?
Reports indicate that mainly using ESWT in several treatment protocols shows overwhelming success rates. A certain study wherein a group of 150 patients were asked to rate their levels of pain on a scale of 1 to 10, the average figure gathered from the proponents was 7.7. Once the treatment was over, the pain levels were tested once more to reveal an average rating of 0.6. That’s a 92% reduction of overall pain levels, and it’s even a higher success rate than many nonsurgical and surgical medical procedures known to modern medicine. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, ESWT treatments are very safe.
What are the Typical Benefits of an ESWT Procedure?
Patients can take advantage of ESWT because several conditions are treatable with the use of an extracorporeal procedure. In other words, the entire process is done outside the body. Because ESWT is a non-invasive approach in treating a number of health conditions, it doesn’t require a lengthy recovery period. Furthermore, there’s virtually no risk of causing additional damage or injury to the ailment, unlike what can be said about surgery.
What Happens During ESWT?
While in the process of treating different bodily pains and ailments using ESWT, you (as the patient) will lie back in a comfortable bed with the area required for the treatment is resting on a machine found on a plush, water-filled membrane. To ensure that the patient remains comfortable throughout the entire session, a medical practitioner will use local anesthesia for the operation. A technician will then make sure that you are indeed comfortable for the procedure to begin before starting the ultrasound scan to view the afflicted area. The machine will produce several clicking sounds, but this is normal and nothing to worry about. Once the technician or the doctor hails the program as completed, then you’re free to go about your day, but now with lesser pain than before.
What Recover to Expect After Undergoing ESWT?
The whole aspect behind ESWT is it forces the body to create new tissue cells in the damaged or troubled area of the body. It might take days, weeks, or months depending on the severity of the ailment. However, some mild soreness and bruising can come after the treatment, but there are records of patients reporting that the pain will subside even after day one of the procedure.
Consider ESWT if you have had the condition for over 6 months, and you’ve already tried three consecutive therapy sessions without luck. Don’t wait for the injury or ailment to subside because it may never happen without proper assistance. Seek out an ESWT clinic today for fast and safe results.
