Shockwave Therapy
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy, (or ESWT), is a multidisciplinary device used in orthopaedics, physiotherapy, and sports medicine. Its main assets are fast pain relief and mobility restoration. Together with being a non-surgical therapy with no need for painkillers makes it an ideal therapy to speed up recovery and cure various indications causing acute or chronic pain.
A shockwave is an intense, but very short energy wave traveling faster than the speed of sound. The word “Extra-corporeal” means “outside the body” and refers to the fact that the shockwaves are generated outside the body. The energy promotes regeneration and reparative processes of the bones, tendons and other soft tissues along with analgesia and mobility restoration.
The vast majority of recent studies suggest that shockwave is highly effective. Assuming you have an injury appropriate to extra-corporeal shockwave technology treatment, most recent independent studies suggest somewhere between a 65% and a 95% “success” range, with values around 80% being the most commonly cited number.
MEDICAL STUDIES SUCCESS RATES
- 91% improvement for Calcific Tendonitis (Journal of American Medical Association 2003)
- 77% improvement for Tennis Elbow (The Journal of Orthopedics’ 2005)
- 90% improvement for Plantar Fascitis-foot pain (Journal of Orthopedic Research 2005)
- 75% success rate for Achilles Tendonopathy (American Journal of Sports Medicine)
- 75% success rate for Patellar Tendonopathy (American Journal of Sports Medicine)
Physiotherapy
At Healthplus Physiotherapy we provide specialised treatment for all muscle and joint problems including sports injuries. We ensure that your problem is treated by a physiotherapist with a specific expertise and knowledge of the injured area. Our practice has close links with Orthopaedic Consultants and is medical insurance approved so you can rest assured that you will receive excellent treatment.
Due to the demanding lifestyle of today’s modern society, an increasing number of people are suffering from muscular and skeletal problems as a result of poor posture, recreation and poorly designed work stations. Many people are also affected by painful conditions and suffer continuously while trying to carry out their daily tasks. They become trapped in a vicious cycle of pain and reduced function. With the help, advice and EARLY therapeutic intervention of your physiotherapist, you may be able to relieve your pain and prevent long-term disability.
Podiatry including Gait Analysis and Biomechanical Examination
Healthplus Gait Analysis and Biomechanical Examination are experts at identifying the compensations and misalignments in your feet and lower limbs which cause pain. Your feet have a direct impact on the rest of your body. Like the foundations of a house, your feet support the weight of everything above them. When a small problem develops in your feet, a subtle change in the way you walk will cause adjustments in posture and walking mechanics. The body tries to compensate for a misalignment often causing pain in areas of the lower limbs and back. Utilising expert gait analysis and biomechanical assessment a compensation or misalignment can be identified and helped to rebalance, using prescription orthotics and a physical treatment programme.
When you walk, the first point of contact with the ground is your feet. If your foot is misaligned and rolls to far one way or another, it can cause a chain reaction up your lower limbs, from the feet through the knee and hip into the back. This chain reaction can cause the body to compensate for the misalignment, which can be the cause of pain in any area of the lower limbs and back.
Being able to move efficiently is vital in avoiding injuries. Having joints capable of providing sufficient movement and muscles capable of producing sufficient force is critical to generate an efficient gait cycle. If joints are stiff (often due to muscle tightness), limiting range of motion, or muscles are weak, the body must find a way to compensate for the problem, leading to biomechanical abnormalities. These abnormalities are identified using a gait analysis and biomechanical assessment.
Prescription foot orthotics look like shoe insoles, but are biomechanical devices which are custom made to correct specific foot imbalances. Orthotics work on feet much likes glasses work on eyes. The stress and strain on your body is reduced by bringing the feet into proper alignment.
Joint Injection
There are a number of conditions treated by injection. In most cases a joint injection is used in conjunction with physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic. At Joint Injection Clinics we will always advise the most efficient treatment plan for reaching your health goals as part of our injection process.
Orthopaedic Consultant
Healthplus Clinics has access to a number of Orthopaedic Consultants. The Orthopaedic Consultants working with Healthplus Clinics have a number of specialities.
Occasionally patients with Tendinopathy fail to improve with non operative treatment. In these instances patients are referred to consultants with a specific interest in the condition.
Tendinopathies are very common and can be very disabling. They can prevent people being to get on with normal pain-free life and can curtail sports and leisure activities. A Tendinopathy is defined as a medical condition characterised by a painful or a torn tendon. The term tendinopathy is commonly used as a collective term for tendonitis and tendinosis.
