Orthopedists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, and other healthcare professionals use shockwave therapy to treat many musculoskeletal disorders. Using a handheld device, a practitioner can target an affected area with acoustic pressure waves that stimulate cells responsible for healing damaged tissue and bone. As such, shockwave therapy is an ideal alternative for patients looking for a drug-free, non-invasive alternative treatment.

Shockwave therapy is particularly effective in treating lower limb tendinopathy.

A systematic review published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine found that shockwave therapy was:

  • More effective than home training and corticosteroid injection for greater trochanteric pain syndrome.
  • More effective than anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, and an exercise program and equal to patellar tenotomy surgery in the long term for patellar tendinopathy.
  • More effective than eccentric loading for insertional Achilles tendinopathy. Also, combining shockwave therapy and eccentric loading in midportion Achilles tendinopathy produced better outcomes than eccentric loading alone.

Let’s look at more of the clinical evidence for the effectiveness of shockwave therapy in treating these three types of lower limb tendinopathy.

Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

A study recently published in the Muscles, Ligaments and Tendons Journal found that even patients with very chronic symptoms of greater trochanteric pain syndrome reported improvement following shockwave therapy.

Researchers noted that the “greatest improvements in self-reported pain were seen in those with the worst baseline symptoms.”

Patellar Tendinopathy

A study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine examined the immediate effect of one shockwave therapy session on patellar tendinopathy.

Thirty-four male athletes with patellar tendinopathy were randomized into shockwave therapy and sham groups. Researchers used a visual analog scale to quantify pain and supersonic shear imaging to measure tendon shear modulus. Patients in the shockwave group saw a significant reduction in tendon shear modulus and pain intensity, whereas the sham group did not.

Achilles Tendinopathy

A meta-analysis recently compared the outcomes of shockwave therapy to other nonsurgical interventions in treating Achilles tendinopathy.

Researchers found that shockwave therapy had significantly better scores for the visual analog scale for pain, American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society scale, the Likert scale for satisfaction, the Roles and Maudsley scale, the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment–Achilles questionnaire, and numerical rating scale.

The Best Treatment for Lower Limb Tendinopathy

One of the great advantages of shockwave therapy is that any healthcare professional can use this technology. In addition to offering the best shockwave devices on the market, we provide training and support from experts who have decades of experience with shockwave therapy. With Shockwave Canada in your corner, you’ll be driving better outcomes for your patients.

Call (866) 977-0847 or visit our website today to book a free consultation.