Shockwave Therapy for Pain Relief and Injury Treatment

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is the transcutaneous application of high-energy acoustic waves to break down tissue or to promote healing and repair. Focused ESWT involves the application of acoustic waves transmitted in a narrow or focused pattern.

First used in the early 1980s, this type of ESWT emerged as a noninvasive treatment known as lithotripsy to eliminate kidney stones. In the decades that followed the advent of lithotripsy, researchers began to examine other potential clinical applications for focused ESWT and another form of shock wave therapy known as radial ESWT. In contrast to focused ESWT, radial ESWT acoustic waves are transmitted in a more diffuse, radial pattern.

As interest in these modalities grew, researchers began exploring their therapeutic potential. During the 1990s and early 2000s, numerous research teams shared findings suggesting that ESWT could be used as a therapeutic tool. Researchers demonstrated the use of ESWT to reduce pain and promote healing in bone, tendon, ligament and fascia in patients with musculoskeletal disorders, and to reduce spasticity in patients with neurological disorders.

Dr. Wainberg is a physiatrist at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota. His research interests include musculoskeletal disorders and spasticity.
"The interest in ESWT among physiatrists is expanding rapidly," notes Dr. Wainberg. "Our colleagues at Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center in Minneapolis are currently using radial shock wave therapy to treat patients with musculoskeletal disorders, and physiatrists at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota, are providing this treatment to patients with musculoskeletal and neurological disorders as well," Dr. Wainberg.



"Radial ESWT is currently being used as a therapeutic tool to promote healing and reduce pain in patients with a variety of musculoskeletal and neurological diagnoses. We are seeing a role for it in treating tendinopathies and in promoting healing in bone defects and fractures, both delayed and nonunion."

Shockwave therapy, which uses acoustic sound waves to increase blood circulation to the affected area and break down fibrous scar tissue, is a drug-free, non-invasive option for scar tissue removal. ESWT likely reduces injured tissue whether paraspinal musculoskeletal(MSK) areas or (MSK) surrounding joints, reducing its interference with the signals coming from the muscles and the sensory organs, thereby improving the active ranges of joint motion.

As a result, the ranges of joint motion will improved, and the weight shift distances increase. The procedure consists palpating the precise source of pain. the shockwave applicator is applied with pressure to the area. The treatment last 10-12 minutes per area. The treatment intensity is adjustable as needed.