Shockwave Therapy – Radial Pressure Wave Central Coast

Why Choose 6S PHYSIO for Shockwave Therapy?

6S PHYSIO was the first allied health practice on the Central Coast to take up Shockwave/RPW treatments – this makes us the most experienced practice offering Shockwave/RPW treatments. Our physiotherapists are up to date on the research and best practice application standards for Shockwave/RPW therapy.

Your therapist will assess you for contributing factors, so that we can address the underlying causes of your problem. Your therapist will assess your suitability and combine your Shockwave/RPW treatment with adjunctive manual therapy, stretches and strengthening exercises, which will ensure the ‘kick start’ provided by the Shockwave/RPW results in positive tissue changes – this will reduce your risk of the problem returning.

These additional treatment techniques will also be included in your shockwave therapy sessions so that you get better quickly and stay that way!

While Shockwave/RPW costs a little more than standard physio we want you to know that the research is highly indicative of better outcomes with Shockwave/RPW in combination with other treatments and exercise, than with those same treatments alone. Ultimately this means you save money because you get relief from pain and return to movement sooner!

For even better results – Ask about our combination packages: Shockwave + K-Laser

Shockwave Therapy – Radial Pressure Wave (RPW) therapy available at Mingara, Ettalong and Umina.

lso referred to as extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is offered by the physiotherapists and chiropractors at all our Central Coast clinics. It offers a drug-free method of reducing pain and promoting healing, particularly in chronic injuries.

Shockwave is an innovative, non-invasive treatment involving high frequency, short duration, bursts of high-energy pulses that are transmitted into injured tissues. It is based on the technology used to break up kidney stones but is less powerful and more suitable for in-clinic purposes.

These high intensity pulses of mechanical energy stimulate the injured tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, bone, etc.) at a cellular level, which promotes a healing response. Ultimately, this treatment strategy accelerates tissue healing with improved quality of scar tissue production.

Literature has shown this technique to be very successful in the treatment of chronic soft tissue injuries, tendinopathies and repetitive strain disorders.

What is Shockwave Therapy?

Shockwave therapy treatment involves local application of shockwaves, which are short, high frequency and high intensity bursts of energy waves that travel faster than the speed of sound. This energy is applied directly to the site of injury in order to:

Increase local blood flow
Decrease pain
Create an optimal environment for cellular repair and tissue healing
Stimulate the body’s natural healing response

Conditions that are successfully treated with Shockwave Therapy

Shockwave therapy can be used to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions especially in regions where soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments connect to bone. Some of these include:

Tennis elbow
Golfers elbow
Rotator cuff tendinopathies
Calcific tendonitis
Jumpers knee
ITB friction syndrome
Groin strain
Hamstring tendinopathy
Gluteal tendinopathy

Most common regions treated

One of the most common regions treated with shockwave therapy is the foot due to the strong support for its use in research studies. Some conditions in the foot that respond very well to shockwave include:

Plantar Fasciitis or Plantar Fasciosis
Heels spurs
Achilles Tendinosis – particularly at the insertion
Morton’s neuroma
Peroneal tendinosis or Peroneal tendinitis
Tibialis posterior tendinosis or Tibialis posterior tendinitis
1st metatarsal osteoarthritis
Stress Fractures in the bones of the foot

What should I expect when I am receiving Shockwave Therapy?

If you are a good candidate for shockwave therapy, your physiotherapist or chiropractic doctor will let you know. Typically, you will require 3-5 treatments of shockwave and your sessions are generally scheduled one week apart.

You may require additional sessions if your health provider needs more one-on-one time with you to work out any joint or soft tissue restrictions and/or to progress your movement training exercises. Most people will notice the benefits of shockwave therapy right away (even right after the first session).

Is Shockwave Therapy Painful?

Shockwave therapy can be mildly painful for some however most patients are able to tolerate the discomfort well. Your therapist can adjust the intensity of the energy so that it is comfortable for you and can ramp up intensity if you are able to tolerate more. This discomfort is during the application of shockwave, which only lasts 3-5 minutes.

The majority of patients will notice a great deal of relief right after the treatment. This is because there is a tendency for Shockwave treatment to subdue over-sensitive nerves. (If you have reduced sensation in your problem area we won’t apply Shockwave.) In some rare cases you may feel some soreness for approximately 24 hours after your session and you may have an inflammatory reaction which can include redness and local tissue swelling. As we are seeking to take chronic tissue back to a state equivalent to acute inflammation – to effectively ‘re-start’ the healing process – this would be considered normal. If you have any concerns you are encouraged to contact us.

Is Shockwave Therapy covered by Insurance?

Shockwave therapy is covered by health funds because our expert physiotherapists and chiropractors provide it as part of normal therapy. For more information please read our blog posts on shockwave therapy.

You can also contact us for more information about this service or to book your shockwave therapy session today!

Our Therapists