For the past 18 years I’ve worked with Shockwave Therapy, seeing it progress from a procedure for the treatment of urological solutions to a practice being used by some of the best sports teams in the world to keep their athletes in peak condition. Unfortunately, this increase in adoption across professionals hasn’t trickled down to become an awareness in the general population. The good news is that this is starting to change and more and more people are starting to experience the benefits Shockwave can bring to conditions including tennis elbow, shoulder tendinopathies, foot, ankle, knee and hip traumas, spinal and neck complaints, and degenerative disorders.

All too often people suffer with chronic pain they are trying to manage, or face surgery that could cause more problems. For many, Shockwave would provide a successful alternative to surgery, if only people knew about it.

The advantages of Shockwave are many:

• It works

• It's non-invasive

• There's no risk of infection

• No risk of tendon rupture as may rarely occur with steroid injections

• It has NICE approval

The results are not instant, it may be uncomfortable and the results can be operator dependent. Any musculoskeletal therapist can buy a machine and apply Shockwave to a problem area, but without correcting the underlying adverse biomechanics it will not be a long term fix. 

Correcting causative factors in combination with Shockwave create the best outcomes and our holistic, whole body approach means you have the very best chance of recovery. Addressing the immediate symptoms is an important step to recovery and can help uncover potential underlying issues that need to be resolved.

Shockwave is a major advance in effective, safe treatment. We're looking forward to welcoming you to the practice and helping you on the road to recovery.

Next Steps

Here are the 3 steps to discover if Shockwave is right for you:

• If you want to read more about Shockwave Therapy, download a free copy of The Shockwave Solution book

• If you have a specific condition, however you are not sure Shockwave is an appropriate course of treatment, complete a free, confidential Online Assessment.

• If you are ready to see if Shockwave is right for you, call to schedule an assessment appointment 020 8662 1155

Expert attention

We have two long established practices in South London facilitating patient recovery through professional relationships across the region. By combining Shockwave with Osteopathic, massage and Pilates services, we are among only a few facilities to be able to offer a multi-discipline approach to your treatment and recovery.

Our team has 87 years of combined experience helping professional athletes, actors, busy mums and working professionals get back to health. We're looking forward to helping you next.

the clinic

Osteopath Clinic
The Osteopathic Clinic
20 Cheyne Walk
Croydon, CR0 7HJ

What is Shockwave Therapy?

Shockwave therapy is a modern and highly effective treatment option in orthopaedic and rehabilitation medicine. The term shockwave refers to mechanical pressure pulses that expand as a wave in the body. In modern pain therapy, shockwave energy is conducted from the point of origin to the painful body regions, where it applies its healing capacities.

The easiest way to think of the energy created by a Shockwave machine is to imagine a Jacuzzi, as the bubbles are generated outside of the body, the energy of the jets is focused on a certain area and the effect can be felt below the surface of your skin. The stronger the jet, the deeper the effect. Similarly, the more focused the jet, the more targeted the impact.

How Shockwave works

A Shockwave machine works in a similar way. A wave of energy is created and delivered to the body through a hand-piece used by the practitioner to deliver the wave to the target area. Like the jet of a Jacuzzi, the hand-piece can deliver a narrow wave (‘Focused Shockwave’) or a wider wave (‘Radial Shockwave’).

More recently, the debate is focusing on something called ‘Cavitation’. There are thousands of these Cavitation bubbles generated by the Shockwave and are, simply put, empty cavities created behind an energy flow.

These bubbles, just like in the Jacuzzi example, expand and then burst. When they burst, we know this is a major consideration in terms of repair and causing soft tissues to repair, as this irritation created within the tissue when the bubble bursts helps break down topologies and, at times, deposits of calcium within the soft tissues.

The Shockwave machine is responsible for creating the force and directing the force; to ensure the bubbles burst at the right point is the job of the hand-piece.

Again, like a Jacuzzi, more energy can be more effective, but it can also be more uncomfortable so treatments are often a balance between these two conflicting elements. The good news for you, the patient, is that there are options to tailor the treatment to your individual condition and comfort level.

Focused vs Radial Shockwave

Being able to offer both Focused and Radial Shockwave therapy is an important part of a complete treatment solution as each type has benefits for different conditions.

Responding to the latest research, we can now offer Focused Shockwave treatments in addition to Radial Shockwave. This investment in the latest equipment ensures we can give you the very best treatment across the broadest range of conditions.

A well-trained practioner equipped with a clinically proven device will heal patients.

The Non-Surgical Solution to Becoming Pain Free

In the UK, official clinical guidance for treatments is issued by NICE (National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence). Their remit is to make recommendation on various treatments that have been evidenced and backed by substantial research.

For Shockwave there are six conditions with NICE guidelines and each year, more conditions are treated leading to further evidence of successful outcomes. There is now a substantial body of global evidence to support Shockwave as an alternative to surgery in the following circumstances:

Fast and Effective | Clinically Proven | No Medication and Non-Invasive

What disorders can be treated?

Improving Your Practice