What is shockwave therapy?

Shock wave therapy is a type of electrotherapy widely used in physiotherapy, orthopaedics and sports medicine. It is an electronic device with multifunctional abilities aiming to reduce pain and promote healing.

How does shockwave therapy work?

The transducer is sending acoustic waves into targeted tissue. In other words, sound waves are being sent into the targeted area which are transmitted via the special transducers head. Depending on the desirable outcome and area to treat there are many treatment settings that the specialist can select ie. Bone, tendon, ligament or muscle.

During the process, your therapist will locate the sore area. Then, a therapist will apply some conductive gel onto the area, adjust the apparatus to the suitable setting and apply the transducers head directly onto the area where sound waves will be delivered.

What can shockwave therapy treat?

Shock wave therapy treats many common orthopaedic conditions. The list includes Achilles, knee, hamstring, elbow and shoulder tendinopathies, plantar fasciitis, lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) and rotator cuff tendonitis with and without calcification. In addition, the therapy can treat and help to alleviate symptoms of chronic musculoskeletal pain, femoral head necrosis, patellar knee jaw and osteoarthritis.

On the other hand, in non-orthopaedic setting, the treatment can also be applied to reduce cellulitis.

Is shockwave therapy painful?

Most of the time the shock wave therapy can be uncomfortable and painful at times. However, the settings of the treatment should be adjusted to the level that is tolerable for you, hence, communicate your experience to your therapist during your treatment.

How often I should use the shockwave therapy?

This very much depends on the condition treated. For example, if you have an Achilles tendinopathy which is 2 years old, it is likely that you will have to receive a treatment 2 times per week for few weeks. On the other hand, an acute lateral epicondylitis will need 2 – 4 treatments spread out within 4 or more weeks, that will probably be enough.

Benefits of shock wave therapy:

Main benefits of the shock wave therapy are: it relieves pain, enhances healing of the tissue and restores function. Shockwave therapy increases blood supply and the proliferation of tissue, that´s why you achieve the benefits. Proliferation simply means rapid reproduction of targeted cells, which may be bone, tendon, ligament or muscle.

Side effects of shock wave therapy:

After completing the treatment, the area treated might start feeling sore. The soreness might remain for couple of days and vast majority of the time is not debilitating.

We hope this information is useful for you. If you have any questions about our treatments, please contact us. You can find us in Mill Hill Broadway and Islington. If you like this blog, please share! We are always happy to help.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6029898/#:~:text=Thus%2C%20the%20shock%20waves%20are,tendinopathy%20(3%2D5).

https://online.boneandjoint.org.uk/doi/pdf/10.1302/0301-620x.81b5.0810863

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Heel pain can be a nuisance, but it is often one of those problems you might ignore for too long. And as with most aches and pains, it can be caused by a variety of different things. It is, therefore, important to pinpoint the specific cause.

But whilst you shouldn’t rule out stress fractures, arthritis or even nerve damage, there tends to be one very common cause. Plantar Fasciitis is the most common problem.

But what is it? And how can it be treated?

Heel Pain

Heel Pain and plantar fasciitis

The heel plays an important role when walking or running. Among other things, it helps absorb shock and allows you to spring forward for the next step.

Strong ligaments connect the heel to the front of the foot and the toes. The strongest of all these ligaments is called the plantar fascia.

Ligaments always connect bone to bone. They are made up of dense and strong connective tissue and help with stability.

Because of this, they can exert a lot of pressure at the point where they attach to a bone. If the muscles of the foot or the calf become tightened they can cause further problems.

Plantar fasciitis occurs when this connective tissue becomes inflamed and painful.

But what causes plantar fasciitis?

The primary cause is related to stress on the feet. It happens a lot in people who spend a large slice of their time on their feet.

It can also be heightened if you are overweight. And it is a common complaint of recreational runners.

There are other factors that can contribute to the problem as well. Unsurprisingly, high heels can aggravate the condition. But also shoes with worn or unpadded heels can have an effect.

And it is a condition that is associated with either tight calves or a tight Achilles. So poor posture or a lack of stretching will not help your cause.

How can you ease the pain?

The most immediate thing you should do is spend less time on your feet. If you are a runner, for example, you are going to have to take a total rest from running until you can manage the problem.

Look to wear shoes or footwear with shock absorbing material in the heel if possible. Alternatively, insoles or heel pads are available at most chemist. They are inexpensive, and can greatly reduce impact to the heel on a daily basis.

As a temporary measure, you can try rolling a golf ball underneath the foot and around the part of the heel that is in pain. The amount of pressure you exert should cause mild discomfort but not shooting pain. This can be a good way to start breaking down scar tissue.

For a full recovery, and to avoid having a repeat of the condition, it is worth getting some professional advice.

A Physiotherapist can help with stretches and exercises that will help your recovery. And massage is also a great way to relieve tension in the calves and help to remove scar tissue in the affected area.

As always, don’t leave it to chance. It is best to tackle the problem before it gets worse than it needs to be.

Get the right treatment, and you can be back on your feet (pain free) in no time.

We hope this information is useful for you. If you have any questions about our treatments, please contact us. You can find us in Mill Hill Broadway and Islington. If you like this blog, please share!

We are always happy to help.

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Climbing injuries come in many different varieties because of the unusual demands of the sport. The shoulders, in particular, are vulnerable. Two of the most common shoulder injuries are to the rotator cuff muscles and partial dislocations. The other area that is highly susceptible to damage is the fingers. The common finger complaints are tendonitis and pulley tears.

We look at different forms of treatment and show how they might help you to recover.

Climbing injuries

Treating shoulder and finger injuries

The shoulder is an intricate joint. Obviously, you use your shoulders in numerous day to day activities. However, if you get a rotator cuff injury in the shoulder, the important first step is to rest it. As simple as this sounds, it is very important. Because the shoulder is so intricate, overuse (especially, after injury) can cause further inflammation.

If you are someone who lifts weights, you should stop all your upper body exercises. And if your job involves lifting you should stop this for a period of time too. In the very early stages, icing the shoulder may help bring down any inflammation, but this is more helpful if the injury is acute.

To fully rehabilitate the shoulder it is important to see a specialist. Rotator cuff injuries rarely fully recover without some professional assistance. A healthcare professional who specialises in maintaining and improving movement and mobility is ideal.

If you suffer a shoulder dislocation you need to have it put back into place by someone who knows what they are doing. You will feel immediate relief once the shoulder is back in place. But don’t be tempted to let someone try that doesn’t know what they are doing. This can cause further complications further down the line. In this case, not only must the shoulder be rested, but it must also be immobilised.

The arm is usually left in a sling for about 1-3 weeks. If the injury doesn’t warrant surgery, then professional physical therapy is recommended as soon after the initial immobilisation as is possible.

If you get tendonitis in the fingers it can be incredibly painful and restrictive. In many cases, but not always, surgery is the best option. Obviously, it pays to see your GP to have a proper assessment made.

What types of therapists can help with climbing injuries?

Osteopaths – as well as treating the injured area and other areas of the body, they are also likely to give advice and programmes on exercise and stretching to aid your rehabilitation and prevent further injury.

Sport’s therapy – a sports massage promotes flexibility, reduces fatigue, improves endurance, helps prevent injuries and prepares your body for future climbing.

Physiotherapy –may involve therapeutic exercise to improve your strength and range of motion.

They can also help with joint mobilisation, manipulation and soft tissue massage, as well as stretching and trigger point therapy to reduce stiffness and to relieve pain. Remember to always seek out the help of suitably qualified professionals.

We hope this information is useful for you. If you have any questions about our treatments, please contact us. You can find us in Mill Hill Broadway and Islington. If you like this blog, please share! We are always happy to help.

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When you have persistent and chronic tension it can have a negative impact on your body. It can interfere with your social, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. If you have chronic tension, you may find it difficult to carry out normal daily activities or even leisure ones such as. It can have a negative impact on your quality of life and might have a psychological affect on you as well.

Chronic tension

How massage can help with chronic tension

Many people think painkillers are the only answer to pain relief, but this is simply not the case. Chronic tension can be overcome with the help of massage and has an excellent rate of effectiveness and safety. The most studied form of massage therapy is for lower back pain. Many people experience this kind of chronic pain within their lifetimes and it can really debilitate many.

There are studies that have shown that massages are able to relieve chronic back pain for up to six months, which far surpasses the aid of painkillers or other medicinal treatments.

Massage can help to ease chronic pain in multiple different ways. The art of massaging increases blood flow throughout the body, and when this rush of blood reaches the location of pain, the extra warmth can help to aid the pain that is being felt.

Massages also help to release natural painkillers within our brain and speeds up the flow of oxytocin, a hormone known to relax muscles and encourage calm and content feelings within us.

Could deep tissue massage be what you need?

Doctors, physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors all recommend the use of deep tissue massages. It focuses on the deep layers of muscle tissue and fascia.

It works by using pressure points along with slow and firm strokes, meaning this particular massage isn’t comfortable to endure. However, the increased flow of blood throughout the body allows inflammation to reduce, meaning the pain will subside afterwards.

Deep tissue massages can help to break up and erase scar tissue in the body when they are used consistently over time.

These types of massages are also great as sports and remedial massages, they have proven to be an effective treatment for injured muscles and can help to rehabilitate. The massage can help to ease the movement of toxins from the muscles, allowing stretching and relaxing of tight or twisted muscles to occur.

If you are currently suffering from pain, whether a new pain or chronic, massaging could well be the answer to your woes.

We hope this information was useful for you. If you have any questions about it or about our treatments, please contact us.  We are only a 5 minute walk away from Mill Hill Broadway Station and Islington.  We are always happy to help.

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