Rotator cuff tendonitis affects the tendons and muscles around the shoulder joint.
It can be caused by shoulder strains from activities that require repetitive movements like plumbing, volleyball, or basketball, etc.
If you or any of your patients are experiencing pain, weakness, popping, or other discomforts in the shoulder area, it might be a sign of rotator cuff tendonitis.
Of course, strengthening exercises can improve rotator cuff tendonitis, and anti-inflammatory and pain medication can alleviate the symptoms. Cortisone injections might also be used to reduce pain.
However, these treatment methods are sometimes only temporary solutions, especially if the rotator cuff tendonitis is chronic.
That’s where shockwave therapy comes into play.
How Does Shockwave Therapy for Rotator Cuff Work?
Shockwave therapy relies on acoustic sound waves to apply micro-trauma to the shoulder area.
It can help break up calcified deposits in the shoulder, reducing pain in the rotator cuff and the medication throughout the treatment and recovery process.
Unlike invasive treatment methods like surgery, shockwave therapy is non-invasive and doesn’t rely on drugs or medication. The pressure waves from the shockwave machine are enough to accelerate the body’s healing ability by stimulating blood flow and promoting cell growth.
Since shockwave therapy is non-invasive and drug-free, relying on the body to naturally heal the condition, patients also experience no long-term side effects from receiving shockwave treatment.
Scientific Evidence of Shockwave Therapy for Treating Rotator Cuff Tendonitis
In a study of 84 participants with chronic rotator cuff tendonitis, the effects of shockwave therapy were examined. Half the patients were divided into the treatment group receiving shockwave therapy, while the other half received a placebo treatment.
Outcomes were measured against a numeric rating scale that rated the intensity of shoulder pain. Results were also measured against the Constant-Murley score to determine shoulder functionality.
Patients in the treatment group experienced a significant decrease in shoulder pain intensity and increased shoulder functionality compared to the placebo group at four- and eight-weeks follow-ups.
Another single-blind, randomized clinical study measured the effectiveness of radial shockwave therapy for calcific tendonitis of the shoulder. The study involved 90 participants with verified cases of calcific tendonitis of the shoulder and subjects were randomly divided into a treatment and group and a placebo group.
The results indicate that the treatment group improved in all parameters immediately after treatment and at the 6-month follow-up.
86.6% of participants in the treatment group reported disappeared calcifications, while 13.4% reported partial disappearance of calcifications. No one in the control group reported disappeared calcifications, and only 8.8% displayed partially reduced calcifications.
Shockwave therapy has many proven benefits that can not only help you deliver faster and smoother treatment to your patients but can also take your clinic up many notches.
To learn about how you can incorporate the long-term benefits of shockwave therapy into your practice, contact us today by calling 1 (888) 741-SHOC(7462) or visit our website.
