Radial Shockwave Treatment
Radial shockwave treatment is an advanced modality to treat soft tissue, bone and joint disorders. This technology has many orthopedic applications and is used for the treatment of plantar fasciitis, achilles’ tendonitis and shin splints by Dr. Nodelman.
Typically, with chronic pain and tendon issues, the body’s healing process shuts down. Radial shockwave treatment sends ballistic soundwaves of energy into the diseased tissues causing microtrauma and a desirable inflammatory response to restart the healing process. With this inflammatory response there is an increase in blood flow and release of growth factors that induce healing of the tissues.
The benefit of radial shockwave treatment is that it is non-invasive. Some discomfort can be experienced during the 5-minute procedure, most patients will tolerate this well with no need for local anesthesia. Additionally, depending on the extent of injury/pathology, there is typically no downtime and patients can carry on with regular activities including athletics as tolerated.
Although not covered by insurance, radial shockwave may end up being a cheaper option for you compared to physical therapy (which may have significant co-pays for each visit). This is a highly effective treatment option that only takes 5 minutes.
Typically 4 treatments are prescribed for maximal benefit but improvement in your condition does typically occur over the next 2-3 months following the last treatment.