Shockwave Therapy or ECST (Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy) is a non-surgical alternative for patients covering a large variety of health problems. It is a newer technology that is very effective for rehabilitating chronic pain, and has helped many of our patients.

What is Shockwave Therapy?

Shockwave Therapy delivers high pressure waves of energy into soft-tissue that is injured, inflamed, or scarred. The treatment increases blood flow to the affected area, breaks apart scar tissue and other adhesions, improves the healing response of the body, and reduces pain. The treatment is non-invasive and only causes mild discomfort in patients.

What conditions can Shockwave treat?

  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Heel spurs/Heel pain
  • Calcific Tendonitis
  • Patellar Tendonitis (Jumper’s Knee)
  • Achilles Tendonitis
  • Rotator Cuff Tendonitis
  • Myofascial Trigger Points in muscle
  • Iliotibial Band Syndrome (IT Band Syndrome)
  • Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow
  • Bursitis
  • Hallux Limitus
  • And More!

 

Rotator Cuff Tendonitis

What should I expect with my Shockwave appointment?

All Shockwave appointments begin with a free assessment conducted by Dr. Livingstone to ensure that treatment is both safe and appropriate for your problem. After your treatment you may be be prescribed exercises to further assist in rapidly healing your problems.

Does Shockwave Therapy hurt?

The treatment itself is not particularly painful, but there will be a mild discomfort that is generally well tolerated by patients. We will adjust the intensity of the stimulus according to your comfort level. With Shockwave Therapy, we are directly creating an inflammatory response in the injured tissue, so a mild discomfort may persist after treatment as well. We do not recommend taking anti-inflammatory medication or applying ice after treatment, since the inflammatory healing response we elicit should not be reduced. 

How many treatments will I need?

For most conditions, three treatments approximately one week apart is needed. In rare cases, an additional treatment or two may be required. Patients will typically experience large improvement in their symptoms within the first three treatments, and symptoms will continue to improve for several weeks after the third treatment is complete.

How successful is Shockwave? Does it really work?

There is a huge amount of research on Shockwave Therapy, and it is growing rapidly. The effectiveness of the therapy has been extensively validated, and treatment has proved to be effective in as high as 90% of patients.

How do I get started?

We are currently offering free shockwave therapy consultations. If you would like to book in, please call us at (403) 320-1015.