ESWT (Shockwave) Therapy
EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCKWAVE THERAPY (ESWT) FOR ACHILLES TENDONITIS AND ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY IN AUSTIN
Your Achilles tendons run, from your calf muscles, to your heel bone. You rely on them whenever you lift a heel off the ground(walking, running, jumping or pivoting); your Achilles tendons are indispensable. So, how does Achilles tendinopathy or Achilles tendonitis and extracorporeal shockwave therapy relate?
HOW DOES ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY OCCUR?
The Achilles tendon can rupture, but it can also just get micro tears, from overuse or not warming up, your muscles, before strenuous activity. Unfortunately, the Achilles tendon has a poor blood supply, which makes the tendon a slow and inefficient healer. When it heals, it lays down tissue that is less organized than the original tendon. This tissue is brittle and further decreases blood flow to the Achilles tendon.
All of this leads to stiffness, pain, inflammation and more deterioration of the tendon.
SYMPTOMS OF ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY OR ACHILLES TENDONITIS:
ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY OR ACHILLES TENDINITIS ARE COMMON WHEN:
HOW PIEZOWAVE ESWT HELPS ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY:
The Piezowave 2(extracorporeal shockwave therapy machine) we use, sends acoustic shockwaves into the unstable Achilles tendon. This is, actually, a mechanical type force, which causes the tissue to ripple. Harder tissue, like scar tissue, will break up and then blood is allowed to come into the area. Over a course of weeks, healing will take place. We will also work on the tissues above and below your Achilles tendon.
You may feel results within the first couple visits. However, after an average course of approximately 6-9 visits (depending on what we find), we may then allow time for your body to do the healing on a cellular level.
ESWT/ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY and ACHILLES TENDONITIS RESEARCH:
There are some, quite favorable, results when studying the effects of ESWT, on Achilles tendinopathy [3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Even studies comparing ESWT with the widely accepted physiotherapy treatments, for Achilles tendinopathy and Achilles tendonitis, showed better results, when treating chronic recalcitrant Achilles tendinopathy, with extracorporeal shockwave therapy [3]. Also, the results mirror the success with patellar tendinopathy of the knee.
The research, and the experiences in our office, should give you hope for recovery. Contact us and please leave a detailed message:(512) 586-1713
PREVENTING ACHILLES TENDON INJURIES:
- Regrow the blood vessels in the Achilles tendonitis tissue [2]
- Stimulate new collagen fibers in your Achilles tendon [1]
- Effectively treat your Achilles tendinopathy [3,4,5,6]
- Get you back in the game, with extracorporeal shockwave therapy
Your Achilles tendons run, from your calf muscles, to your heel bone. You rely on them whenever you lift a heel off the ground(walking, running, jumping or pivoting); your Achilles tendons are indispensable. So, how does Achilles tendinopathy or Achilles tendonitis and extracorporeal shockwave therapy relate?
HOW DOES ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY OCCUR?
The Achilles tendon can rupture, but it can also just get micro tears, from overuse or not warming up, your muscles, before strenuous activity. Unfortunately, the Achilles tendon has a poor blood supply, which makes the tendon a slow and inefficient healer. When it heals, it lays down tissue that is less organized than the original tendon. This tissue is brittle and further decreases blood flow to the Achilles tendon.
All of this leads to stiffness, pain, inflammation and more deterioration of the tendon.
SYMPTOMS OF ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY OR ACHILLES TENDONITIS:
- Aching in the back of the leg
- Extreme pain after running or climbing
- Morning stiffness
- Sore feet
- Decreased strength
- Swelling of the ankle
ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY OR ACHILLES TENDINITIS ARE COMMON WHEN:
- Hikers go up hills
- Baseball/Softball players round the bases
- Runners push off with their feet
- Basketball players rebound
- Volleyball players spike
HOW PIEZOWAVE ESWT HELPS ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY:
The Piezowave 2(extracorporeal shockwave therapy machine) we use, sends acoustic shockwaves into the unstable Achilles tendon. This is, actually, a mechanical type force, which causes the tissue to ripple. Harder tissue, like scar tissue, will break up and then blood is allowed to come into the area. Over a course of weeks, healing will take place. We will also work on the tissues above and below your Achilles tendon.
You may feel results within the first couple visits. However, after an average course of approximately 6-9 visits (depending on what we find), we may then allow time for your body to do the healing on a cellular level.
ESWT/ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY and ACHILLES TENDONITIS RESEARCH:
There are some, quite favorable, results when studying the effects of ESWT, on Achilles tendinopathy [3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Even studies comparing ESWT with the widely accepted physiotherapy treatments, for Achilles tendinopathy and Achilles tendonitis, showed better results, when treating chronic recalcitrant Achilles tendinopathy, with extracorporeal shockwave therapy [3]. Also, the results mirror the success with patellar tendinopathy of the knee.
The research, and the experiences in our office, should give you hope for recovery. Contact us and please leave a detailed message:(512) 586-1713
PREVENTING ACHILLES TENDON INJURIES:
- Stay hydrated when doing sports
- Warm up prior to activity
- Support your feet with good shoes
- Ease up on uphill running
- Up your exercise intensity gradually
- Listen to your body and stop if you feel pain
- 1, Choi S, Lee GJ, Chon J, Jeong YS, Park HK, Kim HS.Effects of extracorporeal shockwave therapy on nanostructural and biomechanical responses in the collagenase-induced Achilles tendinitis animal model.Lasers Med Sci. 2012 Nov;27(6):1195-204. doi: 10.1007/s10103-011-1049-0. Epub 2012 Jan 25.
- Mittermayr R1, Hartinger J, Antonic V, Meinl A, Pfeifer S, Stojadinovic A, Schaden W, Redl H.Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) minimizes ischemic tissue necrosis irrespective of application time and promotes tissue revascularization by stimulating angiogenesis.Ann Surg. 2011May;253(5):1024-32. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e3182121d6e.
- Rasmussen S, Christensen M, Mathiesen I, Simonson O: Shockwave therapy for chronic Achilles tendinopathy: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial of efficacy. Acta Orthop. 2008, 79 (2): 249-56. 10.1080/17453670710015058.PubMedView ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Furia JP: High-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy as a treatment for chronic noninsertional Achilles tendinopathy. Am J Sports Med. 2008, 36 (3): 502-8.PubMedView ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Rompe JD, Furia J, Maffulli N: Eccentric loading compared with shock wave treatment for chronic insertional achilles tendinopathy. A randomized, controlled trial. J Bone Joint Surg – Am. 2008, 90 (1): 52-61. 10.2106/JBJS.F.01494.PubMedView ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Furia JP: High-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy as a treatment for insertional Achilles tendinopathy. Am J Sports Med. 2006, 34 (5): 733-40.PubMedView ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Furia JP: Extracorporeal shockwave therapy in the treatment of chronic insertional Achilles tendinopathy. Orthopade. 2005, 34 (6): 571-8. 10.1007/s00132-005-0806-9.PubMedView ArticleGoogle Scholar
