Is shock wave therapy harmful?
The treatment that uses acoustic waves is called shock wave therapy, or SWT. Initially, the method was used to crush stones in urolithiasis.
All about the benefits and harms of shock wave therapy
The medical technology has proven itself to be an excellent solution to a number of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. It is also prescribed during rehabilitation after injuries and operations on musculoskeletal tissues. And in some cases (coronary stenting and coronary artery bypass grafting), physiotherapy can help avoid surgery.
Despite its many obvious advantages, shock wave therapy has a number of contraindications. To understand who is not suitable for SWT, it is necessary to understand its nature.
The principle of CCS
The essence of the SWT methodology is focused on the penetration of acoustic impulses into soft and musculoskeletal tissues using a special device.
Impact results:
- improvement of blood and lymph circulation;
- Reduction of muscle tone in the area of treatment (complete relaxation);
- destruction of non-pathological bone growths and salt deposits.
Modern medicine uses the following types of physiotherapy:
- radial (with weak impulses and effectiveness for minor bruises and osteoarthritis);
- planar (using medium-power pulses);
- focused (prescribed for intensive care of pathologies accompanied by severe pain).
Indications and contraindications for SWT
Physiotherapy is prescribed exclusively by a doctor based on the results of a comprehensive examination.
Medical indications for the FTA:
- arthritis;
- gout;
- osteoarthritis;
- a bone in the foot;
- osteochondrosis;
- pathologies of the ligamentous apparatus;
- bursitis;
- epicondylitis;
- myofascial syndrome;
- tendonitis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- flat feet;
- slow healing of fractures;
- sports injuries, etc.
Advantages of the therapy: mild effect on tissues, no hospitalization, and no recovery period.
The technique is especially popular in the treatment of heel spurs diagnosed in the early stages of development. If physiotherapy is used for acute inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system, the second procedure is indicated:
- reduction of swelling;
- absence of pain;
- improvement of joint motor skills.
The effect of impulses on the body is quite powerful, so along with recommendations for shock wave therapy, there are a number of contraindications.
As a method of treatment, shock wave therapy sessions are not performed at:
- pregnancy;
- diagnosis of tumors (both malignant and benign, regardless of localization);
- severe form of diabetes mellitus;
- problems related to blood clotting;
- exacerbation of infectious diseases, etc.
Indications and contraindications to the shock wave therapy technique are necessarily taken into account in pediatrics. Acoustic impulses negatively affect the growth of bone and cartilage tissue, so in children, SWT can cause a slowdown or even a stop in the process of skeletal formation.
Duration of treatment
The number of sessions of shock wave therapy to be performed is determined by a rehabilitation therapist based on the individual characteristics of each medical case. On average, a SWT session lasts 10-15 minutes. The course of treatment, for example, of a heel spur is 5 sessions with pauses of 5-6 days.
Already after the first exposure to pulses, the signs of the disease lose their intensity. For example, one session of extracorporeal shock wave therapy of the knee joint guarantees a decrease in swelling and pain. After three sessions, the patient can forget about the disease for a long time.
Treatment with shock wave therapy of osteochondrosis (if there are no contraindications) involves 3-4 sessions every 5-7 days. Pain in the affected area after the first time may increase, which is explained by the exacerbation of symptoms as a result of exposure to acoustic waves, but after 2-3 days the discomfort will completely disappear.
The method of shock wave therapy is characterized by high tolerance, duration of effect and compatibility with other types of treatment. The SWT course can be taken both in a hospital and on an outpatient basis in a clinic, for example, as part of rehabilitation.