Our team at Active Integrative Medicine offers a variety of naturopathic treatment options to help you recover from injuries, manage your health, and find true well-being. One of the treatments we offer is known as shockwave therapy, and we want to tell you more about it. Keep reading to learn about this therapy and how it can benefit you.
- What is Shockwave Therapy? – In our experience, many people assume shockwave therapy is another name for electroshock or electroconvulsive therapy, which uses electrical currents to treat a variety of conditions. However, the two treatments are very different. Shockwave therapy uses no electrical current, but instead relies on sound waves. The therapist uses a handheld device similar to an ultrasound wand to gently massage injured muscles and tendons and kickstart their healing.
- How Does Shockwave Therapy Work? – As we explained above, shockwave therapy uses sound waves to stimulate the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the body. The energy of the shockwaves increases circulation to injured tissues, which in turn stimulates the cells that generate bone and connective tissue, promoting healing and recovery. This therapy can also help break down calcified deposits such as kidney stones. Lastly, shockwave therapy can reduce pain by overstimulating the nerve endings in a particular area—similar to working a muscle to exhaustion, overstimulating the nerves makes them take a break while they recover, and they can’t send pain signals during that time.