Shockwave therapy
Shockwave therapy uses sound waves. They are produced outside the body by a handpiece and directed through the skin to a set depth in the tissue underneath.
It is not electricity, not radiation, and not the same as the ultrasound used for scanning. The waves are mechanical — a rapid pressure change, delivered a few thousand times over about twenty minutes. Nothing is injected. Nothing is cut. There is no recovery period.
Authorised indications
The device used here is licensed by Health Canada. Its authorised indications are:
- — activation of connective tissue
- — temporary increase in local blood circulation
- — relief of minor muscle aches and pains
Whether shockwave therapy is suitable for you is a decision made during your assessment. It is not something that can be determined from a website.
What a session is like
You stay dressed apart from the area being treated. Gel is applied and the handpiece is held against the skin. It takes fifteen to twenty minutes.
It is uncomfortable. Most people describe a deep tapping or aching. Freezing is not used, because it reduces how well the treatment works and removes the feedback needed to stay on the right spot.
Feeling more sore for a day or two afterwards is normal and expected.
Who provides it
Every patient is assessed by a physician before any treatment. Treatment is delivered by a physician or by a trained health professional working under the physician’s direction.
When it is not used
Shockwave therapy is not used during pregnancy, if you take blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder, if there is a known or suspected tumour near the area, if there is an infection at the site, or within six weeks of a cortisone injection in the same place.
These are checked before any treatment is given.
Referral
No referral is needed, and you do not need to be a registered patient of the clinic.
Fees for private services →