What is shockwave therapy & what are the costs?

Shockwave therapy (also known as Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ECSWT), is a non-invasive treatment where a device is used to pass acoustic/ sound shockwaves through the skin to the affected area. Many physios use it in the successful treatment of tendon problems and chronic, difficult conditions.

The shockwaves stimulate the body’s own healing mechanisms to help repair the damaged area.

How Shockwave Therapy works

Shockwave may have several effects linked to healing, including breaking calcium deposits and causing an inflammatory response that may stimulate tissue healing.

This effect on tissue healing is achieved by producing higher concentrations, in the area treated, of the cells involved in healing soft tissue and bone in the human body (mainly fibroblasts and osteoblasts).

Shockwave pricing

  • Individual 1-hour sessions - £65

  • Shockwave package of 3 sessions - £180

Not sure if you require shockwave for your problem? Book in for an initial physiotherapy assessment priced at £62. Your physiotherapist can assess if your problem is appropriate for shockwave and let you give it a try to see if you find it beneficial.

Uses of Shockwave Therapy

 

  • Frozen shoulder

  • Greater trochanteric/ outer hip pain syndrome

  • Knee cap joint pains

  • Medial tibial stress syndrome / shin splints

  • Non-union/ reduced healing of long bone breaks

  • Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee

  • Plantar fasciitis

  • Upper and lower body tendon problems (heel/ elbow/shoulder/ knee etc)

 

Unsolicited feedback: Tormented tendons tamed!

Back in 1965 I injured my right ankle while doing a temporary job on a construction site. The affected ankle had been a nuisance on and off ever since, with stiff and painful tendons limiting normal movement. Over the years I’ve had to use ankle supports and elasticated bandages, pain-relieving sprays and anti-inflammatories, and I’ve had acupuncture and ultrasound treatment to keep the pain in check. More recently, the effects of the pandemic with its lockdowns reduced the amount of walking I would normally be doing. As a result, the ankle got more stiff and painful. Then in August 2021 I read about the new shockwave treatment available at Activ Physiotherapy. This year, 2022, I finally bit the bullet and went for assessment at the Totley clinic.

Andrew assessed the state of my ankle and agreed that shockwave treatment would be beneficial. I signed up for three shockwave sessions and I have now completed the course. The treatment was painless and the effects have been nothing short of miraculous! After the first session, the aches and pains in the ankle virtually disappeared, and they had disappeared completely after the third session. I can walk without pain and, along with simple exercises to keep the tendons mobile, I look forward to getting back to walking the longer distances I was used to. With hindsight, I wish I had had shockwave treatment at the earliest opportunity. Quite simply, the best word to describe the effect is “Wow”, and that’s no exaggeration!

- Mike Peart, Dore, June 2022.