The Current State of Shock Wave Therapy

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has been used to break up kidney stones for the past 15 years. It was then used to help bones heal. Recently doctors have begun using it to treat a painful condition of the heel called plantar fasciitis. This article reviews the medical literature to give an overview of the way EWST is used in orthopedic clinics.

The article details the three different types of machines used to apply the shock waves. In all three machines, a mechanical head delivers shock waves as it is rubbed on the sore area. ESWT pushes the shock waves further into the body than similar treatments. Shock waves can penetrate up to 2.5 inches under the skin. The depth can be adjusted for the individual patient and the injury site. Patients often feel a sharp pain while getting ESWT. Other than that, there are few side effects. But the authors warn that EWST must be used with care around sensitive organs and tissues to avoid damage.

Medical research has shown that EWST can be effective in relieving pain. But there has been little research on how or why it works. These authors suggest a few possibilities:

It causes minor damage in the tissues, which results in better blood flow and healing responses in the area.

The authors discuss many technical details of using EWST. They recommend further studies to better define how to apply EWST, so that it can also be used in physical therapy clinics.

References: Gladys L. Y. Cheing, PhD, and Hua Chang, MSc. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy. In Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy. June 2003. Vol. 33. No. 6. Pp. 337-343.

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