Why Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy May Be Right For You
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT), or simply “shockwave therapy,” is an FDA-approved and non-invasive treatment. ESWT is utilized as a treatment for plantar fasciitis (or heel pain) and insertional achilles tendonitis.
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ESWT, which has a success rate of over 85%, uses a machine to pass shockwaves through the foot to stimulate the healing of inflamed tissues. These mechanically-produced, high-energy sound waves improve blood flow and increase tendon elasticity to speed up the healing process in the inflamed area.
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Technically speaking, ESWT produces a new, acute injury to treat a chronic or old condition. The end result is the aforementioned stimulation of the healing process as well as an analgesic (or pain relieving) effect.
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Why is ESWT Better Than Invasive Options?
• Extracorporeal means “outside the body.” That means ESWT is non-invasive and does not require the introduction of a medical device within the body.
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• While the success rate of ESWT is comparable to that of surgery, you have no risk of scarring or infection with the ESWT treatment protocol.
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• You still have treatment options after ESWT. In contrast, when you have invasive surgery, you have no alternatives if it has an unsuccessful outcome.
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• You will not need to take time off work. In most cases, ESWT patients can return to normal activities the very next day with little to no limitations.
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• The treatment is performed in the familiar surroundings of our office under local anesthesia. It is an outpatient treatment, requiring no overnight stay or hospitalization.