Shockwave Therapy

There are certain instances where shockwave therapy is not appropriate, please see below:

• Patients taking certain medications including: antiplatelets (for example, aspirin or clopidogrel) or anticoagulants (such as warfarin or rivaroxaban)
  
• Anyone with a blood clotting disorder
  
• Anyone under the age of 18
  
• Anyone who has been diagnosed with bone cancer
  
• Anyone with a cardiac pacemaker or other cardiac device
  
• Anyone who has a local infection or a history of tendon or ligament rupture
  
• Anyone who has had any steroid injections to the proposed treatment area in the previous 12 weeks 
  
• Abdominal shockwave is not appropriate during pregnancy
  

You will need to be referred for shockwave therapy by a suitably qualified healthcare clinician such as a GP, sports physician, chiropractor, osteopath, physiotherapist, podiatrist etc. Once the referral form has been received at the WIOC, the referring clinician should advise the patient to call the clinic on 01443 483555 to schedule an appointment.

On arrival you should report to the clinic reception by calling 01443 483555. If you have travelled by personal transport you should remain in your vehicle and notify the reception staff of the parking bay number, if you have travelled by public transport or on foot you should follow the instructions on the patient information banner in the entrance foyer of the clinic. The reception staff will arrange for you to be triaged prior to entering the clinic, and escorted to the relevant waiting room where you will wait alone until you are collected by the sonographer.

The procedure will take place in our ultrasound suite on the upper floor of the WIOC clinic. If you have any mobility problems please let the reception staff know when you report to the desk on arrival at the clinic. There is a lift available to take you to the first floor.

It will be a qualified medical doctor who will be providing the shockwave therapy. He is trained in musculoskeletal ultrasound, and therefore qualified to interpret the images as well as administer the therapy.

You will be asked to lie on the scanning couch or sit in a chair and the Sports Physician will complete a short ultrasound scan to identify the site for shockwave therapy. Once the site for treatment has been located the shockwave therapy will be administered from a probe which looks a little bit like a gun. The actual shockwave therapy takes about 15 minutes, and the whole appointment should only take around 30-40 minutes. Subsequent visits will not require an ultrasound scan prior to the administration of Shockwave therapy, and will take about 15-20 minutes.

The treatment will be uncomfortable, however the Sports Physician will ask you for constant feedback to ensure the intensity remains within tolerable limits. Most patients experience immediate pain relief after treatment, however it is likely that there may also be some post treatment soreness 2-4 hours after the treatment. This should be managed with over the counter painkillers if necessary. To ensure your treatment is appropriate for your condition it is important to notify the Sports Physician if your symptoms have changed since you were referred.

The effectiveness of the treatment is cumulative, and most patients need between 4-6 treatments.

Treatment is likely to be administered on a weekly basis, however this will depend on your tolerance and response to the treatment.

You can contact us at any time via the WIOC reception staff, who will take a message and ask the relevant staff member to call you. They can be contacted by telephone on 01443 483555 or through a generic e-mail address wioc@southwales.ac.uk

You will be asked to pay for each visit before you leave the WIOC. Payment can be made by debit or credit card.

A report will be generated and sent to the person who referred you, outlining the course of treatment received, your progress and response to treatment.