Focused Shockwave
Sports Medicine & Non-Surgical Orthopedic Physicians located in Boulder, CO
Focused Shockwave Therapy is the most powerful and clinically proven needle-free technique of utilizing pressure waves (shockwaves) to improve blood flow, collagen synthesis and downregulate painful nerves. It is essentially a needle-free regenerative treatment with extensive proof of effectiveness in various orthopedic conditions.
Focused Shock Wave (FSW) is a non-invasive treatment that takes advantage of electromagnetically-generated pressure or shock waves that cause tissue deformation (mechanotransduction) which leads to improved tissue metabolism, blood vessel growth, growth factor release, collagen synthesis and nerve pain downregulation. Ultimately, FSW is a completely noninvasive, needle-free Regenerative Treatment.
This game-changing technology utilizes focused electromagnetic pressure waves to stimulate metabolism, enhance angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth), release growth factors and strongly upregulate the healing process in the tissues treated. Damaged soft tissue injuries (tendon, ligament, muscle and even bone/cartilage) are gradually able to regenerate and heal in most cases.
FSW treats both acute and chronic musculoskeletal soft tissue injuries and pain.
The most common conditions studied are chronic tendinopathies such as Plantar Fasciitis, Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow), Achilles Tendonitis, and Patellar tendonitis.
Other conditions treated include ligament strains, muscle strains and fascial injuries as well as bone injuries, non-unions and even osteoarthritis.
Unlike EPAT, there are very short-lived activity restrictions post-treatment with FSW.
We advise avoiding heavy lifting and exercise for 2 days post-treatment while soft tissues recover from the treatment. Exercising at 60% of your normal intensity and volume is the recommendation for those first 2 days.
Otherwise, it is safe and encouraged for patients to continue their physical therapy and home exercise programs during the course of treatment.
Treatment sessions each take between 15-30 minutes per treatment area. As with all Regenerative Treatments, the body typically takes 2-4 months to repair a soft tissue injury. This is no different with FSW.
For soft tissue healing of the injury, 6-10 once-weekly treatment sessions are usually necessary to heal tendon/ligament/muscle injuries 80% of the time. We often recommend treating with BOTH FSW and EPAT in combination for better healing.
In some instances, an additional 1-2 treatment sessions may be indicated in order to get maximal functional improvement and pain reduction.
Unfortunately, despite the vast body of clinical evidence demonstrating its proven efficacy in dozens of studies, FSW is still not covered by insurance. We have thus created a 6-pack bundled payment (for the cost of 5 treatments) to help minimize cost while optimizing outcome potential.
As FSW stimulates your body's healing response, blood flow and tissue synthesis, we advise the same precautions as for other Regenerative Treatments.
-Please limit icing to 10-15 minutes per hour; warm heat is better as it stimulates blood flow but may increase pain a bit short-term.
-Avoid NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naprosyn, meloxicam, diclofenac, aspirin, etc as they stifle the body's healing responses
-Avoid natural anti-inflammatory supplements such as Curcumin/Turmeric, oral CBD and high-dose fish oil/SPM's for 1-2 weeks after FSW
-Avoid high level activity for 2-3 days and instead keep activities that utilize the treated area to a light or moderate level
-Limit alcohol intake to 1 glass per day