Shockwave therapy was first used in the clinical setting for treatments in 1985. At that time wave therapy was used to break up gall stones in the gall bladder. This procedure was called lithostesis. Prior to 1985 there were multiple studies in Germany using animals to determine the efficacy of this modality or treatment.

Meanwhile as technology gained more attention, there became many more diagnostic and treatments available for many areas of the body.

If you do a little research, you can compare many of these wave therapies such as electrohydraulic, electromagnetic, ultrasound, piezoelectric, radial pressure to name a few. We are going to concentrate on the attributes of Stemwave therapy which is a true shockwave therapy. Today a form of these therapies are used in the following:

• Urology
  • Treatment of Kidney stones
  • Erectile Disfunction
  • Treatment of overactive bladder syndrome
• Orthopedic
  • Tissue regeneration
  • Bone healing
  • Management of tendonitis
• Cardiology
  • Treat calcified lesions in coronary disease
  • Decreased ischemia in end stage coronary artery disease.
  • Treat recovery of left ventricular ejection fraction.
• Dermatology
  • Treatment of chronic foot ulcers
  • Treatment of post burn scars
  • Treatment of chronic soft tissue wounds
• Neurology
  • Treatment of post-stroke spasticity
  • Treatment of post neuropathy neuralgia and itch
  • Peripheral nerve regeneration
  • Decrease chronic lower back pain.
  • Spinal cord repair

These treatments are well documented in medical literature, demonstrating healing in soft tissue and bones.

Acoustic therapies are sound waves.

Ultrasound is the sound wave that most of us are familiar with. Ultrasound converts electricity into high frequency sound waves and sends the waves through your body tissues. You cannot hear these soundwaves. Those soundwaves bounce off of structures inside of the body and back to the probe, which then converts the wave into electrical signals. A computer then converts the pattern of those signals into real-time images or video displayed on a screen nearby.

A second sound wave therapy that is used is called Radial Pressure waves. In radial shockwave therapy, a pressure wave is generated through accelerating a projectile through compressed air until it reaches an applicator, causing it to generate waves throughout the body. In radial therapy, the shockwave dispersion is more superficial while focused therapy penetrates a little deeper into body tissue. Finally, there are shockwave therapies, also known as Extracoporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT).

There are three shockwave therapies.

• Piezoelectric
• Electromagnetic
• Electrohydraulic

In our office we use Stemwave which is an electromagnetic therapy. True shockwaves are pulse waves with unique physical properties, specifically they have a high positive pressure and a tensile wave. So what does that really mean? Well to begin with, the shockwave created from Stemwave travels at 3350 MPH creating a single high amplitude pulse with an immediate drop off. The time for this to occur is between 5 and 10 nanoseconds. Then there is a tensile wave that occurs briefly that creates a negative pressure. All of this technology is specific only to Stemwave. The results happen at the cellular level by compressing the cell and then expanding the cell.

Remember that this happens in nanoseconds (billions of a second) The end result is that there is no damage to the cell, but the cell thinks it is damaged and stem cells are stimulated by the body’s own response system resulting in healing.

Other modes of therapies are also effective however they do not have the ability to be as focused or to penetrate as deep at the Stemwave treatments.

Our goal at Connected Chiropractic is to use multiple methods to help restore your optimal health. We will create a plan of care that maps out your individual needs and pairs them with what is already working in your daily life.

Don’t live another day in pain. Call our office to get started on your restorative path to optimal health. Schedule healing now!

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