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Radial Shockwave Therapy

I scheduled an appointment with the Chiropractor whom my doctor had told me had the Radial Shockwave machine. This is my Chiropractor whom I've been seeing for more than 20 years. My family consider him a friend and trust his opinion in all medical matters. Dr. Henbid indicated the Physiotherapist in his office does the Shockwave treatment. He gave me a thorough chiropractic session and also looked up my x-ray of my right foot. He described the heel spur as a "doosey". Although this may not have been the most medical way of explaining it, it did make me feel better as now did not feel that I was exaggerating my pain. I later arranged to get a copy of this x-ray to take it to my Podiatrist.


The following week, I made an appointment to see the PhysioTherapist, Pat Irwin, for my first Shockwave Treatment and was told not to use any anti-inflammatory agents for 48hrs prior to my appointment.

The machine they have is the Storz Medical Masterplus MP100. The handout Pat Irwin provided me with says; "A shockwave is an intense, but very short energy wave travelling faster than the speed of sound. The basic technology involved with extracorporeal shockwave is not new. It has no side effects, is a non-surgical treatment and is available at a reasonable cost. Non invasive and promotes accelerated recovery to injured soft tissue, bone, heel and joint pain. Coverage is available from most insurance coverage under Physiotherapy or Chiropractic treatment. Sessions are generally 20-30 minutes in length, and permanent relief typically begins about 72 hours following treatment. It is recommended to do 3-6 treatments."


Pat Irwin, further indicated she has had several patients, but so far only one has needed more than three treatments. Pat indicated the pain is generally just during the treatment and is tolerable for most people. There may be some discomfort for awhile afterwards, but it is usually not significant. She recommends using heat to alleviate any discomfort and strongly recommended that no anti-inflammatory agents be used, as that will stop all the benefits.

The treatment took about 15-20 minutes. There was some discomfort but nothing significant. Pat started at one level and when it appeared to be too much discomfort so she lowered the frequency.  As my tolerance increased she increased the level. I could feel the vibration of the lazer and occasionally I could feel some pain. The sound of the machine is like rat-a-tat-rat continuously. My instructions were to take it easy for the day, use heat - not ice and do not use any anti- inflammatories. I did not feel any discomfort or benefits. I made another appointment the following week.

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