Shockwave therapy

Need to know

• What happens during shockwave therapy? icon plus

  You will likely have gone through a diagnostic process to determine the nature of your condition (such as an MRI or an ultrasound scan), and a course of shockwave therapy will have been advised. The treatment will typically take around ten to fifteen minutes, and you may be asked to attended on a few occasions to repeat the treatment – three or more sessions are usually advised.

  A gel will be applied to the area which is going to be treated.The treatment is delivered directly to the uncomfortable area using a pneumatic device (this can be noisy), and whilst it’s non-invasive, it may be a little uncomfortable (like a hard massage).

• How to prepare for shockwave therapy icon plus

  You’ll be asked to lay on a couch for the treatment, and you’ll need to expose the area to be treated, so attended in loose clothing or sports gear is a good idea.  There is no need to fast or take any precautions before attending for the treatment.

• After therapy treatment icon plus

  The full effects of shockwave treatment take several weeks to occur, so it’s not an instant fix, although many patients will experience an anesthetic-like feeling in the area for a few hours after the treatment. It’s important that you also follow a course of rehabilitation to correct any underlying biomechanical issues. Physiotherapy or osteopathy may be advised.