South Edmonton Location
Shockwave therapy Edmonton
Radial shockwave therapy at our southeast Edmonton clinic is for tendon problems of some months' standing — plantar heel, Achilles, gluteal, patellar and elbow tendinopathy — where a fair trial of loading has stalled. Typically three to six weekly sessions, exercise continuing throughout.
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What is shockwave therapy?
Radial shockwave therapy delivers pulses of mechanical pressure into tissue through a handpiece held against the skin. In a tendon that has stopped responding, those pulses appear to provoke a renewed healing response. It is used for persistent tendinopathy where a proper loading program has stalled, and it is delivered alongside that program rather than instead of it.
What Conditions Can Shockwave Therapy Edmonton Be Used For?
The common thread is a tendon problem of some months’ standing that has had a fair trial of loading. It is not a first-line treatment, and it is not used for acute injuries.
- Plantar heel pain that has not settled with load management and calf work
- Midportion Achilles tendinopathy
- Gluteal tendinopathy — lateral hip pain
- Lateral and medial elbow tendinopathy
- Patellar tendinopathy
- Some cases of calcific shoulder tendinopathy
What Happens During a Shockwave Therapy Edmonton Session?
Typically three to six sessions, usually a week apart, each taking only a few minutes of actual treatment within a normal appointment. The exercise program continues throughout.
Treatment is uncomfortable while it is happening — a strong, rapid tapping over a tender area — and the intensity is adjusted to what you can tolerate. Aching or slight redness for a day afterwards is normal.
Progress is judged on the same measures as any tendon problem: how much you can do before symptoms appear, and how quickly they settle. If nothing has moved by the end of a course, that is a reason to reassess rather than book more.
What Are the Reasons to Avoid Shockwave Therapy Edmonton?
Tell your physiotherapist if any of these apply:
- You are pregnant
- You take blood thinners or have a clotting disorder
- There is a known or suspected tumour in the area
- There is an active infection or an open wound over the site
- The area is over the lungs, over a growth plate in a child or adolescent, or over a large nerve or vessel
- You have had a corticosteroid injection into the area in the last several weeks
Common Questions About Shockwave Therapy
Does it hurt?
It is uncomfortable during treatment, and it is over quickly. Intensity is turned up gradually and set to what you can tolerate, so tell the therapist where your limit is rather than enduring it.
How soon will I notice a change?
Often not immediately, and sometimes symptoms are briefly more irritable after the first session or two. Change is usually judged across a course of several weeks rather than session to session.
Can I stop the exercises while I have it?
No — that is the part that changes the tendon’s capacity. Shockwave is used to get a stalled tendon responding again so the loading can do its work.
Is it covered by insurance?
It is generally delivered within a physiotherapy appointment and billed as such, but plans differ and some treat it separately. Check with your plan, or bring the details and the clinic can confirm first.
Does shockwave hurt?
It is uncomfortable rather than painful, a rapid tapping sensation over the tendon that most people tolerate well for the few minutes it takes. Intensity is adjusted to you. Some soreness for a day or two afterwards is normal.
How many sessions are needed?
Typically three to five, a week apart, alongside a loading program. Improvement is often noticed after the second or third session. If nothing has changed after the course, that is discussed honestly rather than extended indefinitely.
Which conditions is it used for at Vertex?
Mostly persistent tendon problems that have not responded to exercise alone: plantar fasciitis, Achilles and patellar tendinopathy, tennis elbow and calcific shoulder tendinopathy. It is not a first-line treatment and is not used on everything.
Book an assessment
Vertex Physiotherapy is at 6958 76 Ave NW #205, Edmonton, AB T6B 2R2. Call (825) 525-2852 or book online. An assessment comes first, so shockwave is only used where it is the right tool.