This is a treatment commonly used for chronic soft tissue pain, typically tendon and ligament disorders such as tennis elbow, achilles tendonitis, knee and shoulder tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and lateral hip pain (GTPS). The procedure uses high pressure sound waves to disrupt the collagen fibres in a way that stimulates a healing response.
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| Shockwave for Plantar Fasciitis |
Shockwave is a non-invasive treatment (does not break the skin) and is fairly painless although can sometimes be uncomfortable over very bony areas.
It's a treatment that usually lasts around 10 minutes and is typically delivered once a week over a 3 week period. Patients are then reviewed about 6 weeks later when the treatment can be repeated if needed.
You can usually return to work immediately afterwards although it can cause a temporary increase in pain for a few days. The treatment essentially re-injures the tendon or ligament in a controlled way in order to prod it into kick-starting a healing process.
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