Chronic pain
If you’ve been taking medication for chronic musculoskeletal pain, or are considering surgery for your condition, Shockwave Therapy can work as a potential alternative.
The cause for many chronic pain conditions is in scar tissue, circulation issues and tissue or nerve damage that interferes with healing and cell regeneration.
ESWT works by breaking down and removing any tissue that should not be present, such as scar tissue, while stimulating angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth) to the impacted tissue at the cellular level.
Many clients experience significant reduction in their chronic pain after their first treatment, and unlike other modalities, results of ESWT usually don’t require ongoing treatment beyond the initial plan of 3 to 6 sessions.
Here is a list of conditions that ESWT can effectively treat.
ED & Men’s Health
ESWT for Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) refers to the lack of limb stiffness during sexual intercourse to perform a successful coitus. ED is a worldwide disease affecting approximately 50 % of all men between the ages of 40 and 70 with varying degrees of severity. Organic factors are the main cause (60 - 80 %) of ED, and the main focus here is on circulatory disorders of the erectile tissue. In the interdisciplinary treatment concept of ED, low-dose ESWT has played an important role since 2010. Previous clinical studies have shown that ESWT is also effective for PDE-5 inhibitors ineffectiveness with successful long-term effect. Since 2015, the European Association of Urology (EAU) has been using ESWT as a method of first choice for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in addition to PDE-5 inhibitors.
Benefits of ESWT for Men’s Health Issues:
- Therapies without medication or surgery
- Stimulates the body’s natural repair mechanism
- Short treatment sessions
- Replaces medications with spontaneity
- No reported side effects
- No anaesthesia required
ESWT is exceptionally successful on vasculogenic ED, that is, impairment as a result of blood flow to the penis. For ED resulting from diabetes, results have been very promising but may require more frequent ‘tune-up’ sessions as a result of the disease itself. For those struggling with ED as a result of natural aging, the effects of the treatment are long-term and significant.
Unfortunately, there is little evidence to suggest that shockwaves are as effective on ED caused by nerve damage. It is best to consult your physician and/or therapist regarding the cause of your ED.
Whether ED is a result of aging or disease, such as diabetes, the overall effect of ESWT are the same. While a full treatment protocol of 6 sessions is highly recommended for optimal success, some clients have seen results after only 2 sessions.
During your treatment ESWT is applied to different points along the body of the penis. ESWT can cause cellular change in the targeted tissue without damaging the surrounding tissues. Treatments are relatively pain-free, non-invasive, short in duration and produce long-term results.
ESWT for Induratio Penis Plastica (IPP)
Induratio penis plastica (IPP), also known as Peyronie’s disease, is an acquired and generally progressive condition of the penis. Most men notice the presence of the disease when they feel thickened nodules (so-called plaques) under the skin of the penis. As the disease progresses, pain may occur with or without an erection and the penis becomes curved during an erection, which can make it difficult or impossible to have sexual intercourse. When treating IPP, the pain points in the penis are treated with extracorporeal shockwaves.
Anti-Aging
Evidence based treatment for Cellulite
Shockwaves are non-invasive, relying on the same technology used in musculoskeletal acoustic wave treatments but with applicators to target more superficial tissues. Depending on the severity, clients will need approximately 10 ESWT treatments to complete their protocol and may need occasional tune-up treatments every few months or years to maintain their results. There is no downtime or unpleasant side effects and the treatments evoke cellular change from the inside out.
Benefits in Aesthetics Medicine:
- Reduction of cellulite by gradually smoothing the skin surface
- Increased firmness of the skin
- Long-lasting treatment effect (more than 6 months post treatment)
- Stimulation of muscle fibre growth which can lead to increased metabolic activity beneath the skin, leading to better circulation, improved lymph drainage and reduced inflammation/oedema
Understanding Cellulite
Cellulite, sometimes referred to as orange-peel skin, is a widespread problem affecting almost only women. It is mainly caused by the increase of the fat deposits around the buttocks and thighs and the skin’s aging process that causes the collagen layers to become thinner over time. An imbalance between fat production and fat breakdown within the cells leads to the formation of large fat cells that bulge towards the surface of the skin, giving the skin the characteristic dimpled orange peel appearance. Over time oedema and local inflammation also occurs.
Tissue oedema is one of the initial phenomena of cellulite. Reduction of oedema increases tissue permeability, so fluids and toxins retained within the fat cells are not only released, but also drained by the lymphatic system. By reducing the toxins there is less damage to the collagen fibres, meaning less degeneration and tighter skin.
