Shockwave therapy is one of our most popular treatments in office. As a non-invasive, non-surgical treatment option, shockwave has become our team's favorite modality to relieve pain in common areas like the neck, mid back, and legs and jump-starting the body’s ability to regenerate new tissue. It decreases pain by directly stimulating the nerves at the site of the injury. Though the name of the treatment makes it sound scary or painful, it’s only mildly uncomfortable for some people and incredibly effective for most.
We often get surprised reactions when we let our patients know that their "weird" areas of complaints are actually totally acceptable spots to shockwave and have had positive feedback when incorporating this into their treatment plans.
Here are some of the "weird" areas to shockwave:
Feet
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of foot pain. The plantar fascia is a strong, fibrous attachment that runs from your heel to the ball of your foot and your toes. Symptoms of plantar fasciitis often include a sharp or stabbing pain in the heel of the foot, and can be caused by a number of factors including types of shoes, overly tight calves, overexertion or walking/standing too long, having flat feet/high arch, or being overweight.
Shockwave is one of the most highly effective treatments for plantar fasciitis and most of our patients see lasting results within just a few sessions.
Jaw
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) is any pain or compromised movement of the jaw joint and surrounding muscles. Dysfunction often leads to pain and discomfort.
Your face has almost 20 flat skeletal muscles that attach to different places on your skull. The craniofacial muscles are essential to chewing and making facial expressions. They originate from bone or fascia and insert into your skin.
Jaw pain, difficulty chewing, and clicking and locking of the jaw joint are some of the symptoms of TMJ. Common treatments typically include medications, bite guards, and physical therapy. We recommend trying shockwave as a form of treatment.
Most of our patients report immediate relief after one session.
Hands
The hand is composed of many different bones, muscles, and ligaments that allow for a large amount of movement and dexterity, and are also vulnerable to injury.
Since we use our hands for most of our daily tasks (driving, holding our phones, texting, typing, writing, etc) we are prone to muscle tension, strain, and even injury due to overuse.
Shockwave can treat common mild to moderate hand problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome, by alleviating pain and restoring motion in the hands.
If you have any questions about shockwave therapy and if we are able to treat a specific affected area, please email us at reception@ppmchiro.com or call us at 909-285-4561.