With low time commitment and the potential to significantly improve pain, shockwave therapy at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, is a noninvasive therapy option for active people who want to heal chronic pain and injury that isn’t responding to conservative treatments.
What is shockwave therapy?
Shockwave therapy, also called extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), is a treatment option for active people who are in pain from a sports- or activity-related injury, whether acute or chronic.
ESWT is performed by primary care sports medicine providers at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. During the procedure, sound waves are transmitted through a probe into an injured area, such as a muscle or tendon. The sound waves create energy inside the tissue, triggering a repairing response that can reduce pain and lead to healing. Athletes are typically able to return to the sports they love as soon as a therapy session is complete.
What injuries can be treated with extracorporeal shockwave therapy?
Shockwave therapy can help manage pain and promote healing and tissue regeneration in many musculoskeletal conditions, including:
- Foot pain, such as plantar fasciitis
- Knee and leg pain, such as jumper’s knee and medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints)
- Stress fractures
- Shoulder pain from rotator cuff injuries and tennis elbow
- Hamstring pain
- Greater trochanteric pain syndrome
Many other types of tendon, bone and joint conditions can be treated with shockwave therapy.
How does shockwave therapy work?
Shockwave therapy delivers pulses of sonic waves to targeted areas of the body where you’re experiencing chronic pain or injury. The sound waves are transmitted through a hand-held probe attached to a machine where your provider controls frequency and energy. Our providers use focused shockwave therapy, which achieves effects deep in the tissue by generating waves that focus on a specific depth.
What happens during shockwave therapy?
Before shockwave therapy, your provider may order an ultrasound or other imaging to confirm the spot that needs treatment. You’ll be positioned in a way that’s both comfortable for you and that allows your provider to access the affected area for the entire procedure; you may be lying down, sitting up or on your side, depending on the location of your injury.
During shockwave therapy, your provider will spread a gel on your skin, like what is used during an ultrasound. After setting up the machine, the doctor will touch the shockwave probe to your injured area and apply the therapy. Every application of sound waves will sound like a click. Some patients describe the sound as the snap of a rubber band or tap of a mallet. Your doctor will thoroughly cover the area with sound waves.
Shockwave therapy can be uncomfortable, especially since it focuses on an already injured spot. But providers will control the energy to a level of pain that you can tolerate. No local anesthesia is used. Some other possible side effects are:
- Skin redness and bruising
- Minor swelling
- Numbness or tingling, possibly the effect of a nerve being hit by a sound wave
- Less commonly, formation of a hematoma, a bruise-like pooling of blood outside of blood vessels
You may initially have a decrease in pain that returns after one to two weeks. You may need more than one session to treat your condition. You can use over-the-counter analgesics like acetaminophen (Tylenol) to help with your pain between your treatments.
Shockwave therapy benefits
One of the greatest benefits of shockwave therapy is a quick return to activity, typically on the same day or the next day. Athletes sometimes receive shockwave therapy to help with pain recovery during a match or competition and return to play. This procedure is also nonsurgical and noninvasive and requires minimal advanced preparation.
Who is a candidate for shockwave therapy?
Athletes and active people like shockwave therapy because it requires little to no recovery time. You do not need to try other, more conservative approaches to treatment in order to try shockwave therapy. It can be used for both acute and chronic pain.
Who should not receive shockwave therapy?
While shockwave therapy can be used broadly, it’s not a good fit for some people, including:
- People with an active bone infection
- Those with malignant tumors
- Pregnant people
- Cases of complete tendon rupture
- People with blood clotting problems or those who take blood thinners
- People with injuries near the brain, significant nerves or the lungs
What are the risks of shockwave therapy?
Directing sound waves under the skin is intense, even though the therapy is directed at a specific, small area. Rarely, it can cause bruising and hematomas, which is why people who take blood thinners may not be good candidates for this procedure.
Risks after the procedure are low because it involves no anesthesia, incisions or medications for recovery.