Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a new treatment for tendon pain; it has also been proved to be effective in the treatment of a range of tendon problems including plantarfacsiitis, ankle, shoulder, knee and elbow pain.
ECSWT is non-invasive form of treatment with strong research evidence behind it, including large clinical trials from NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Exellence)
ECSWT works in two ways physiologically to reduce persistent tendon pain.
- The shockwaves desensitize nerve endings, which leads to a reduction in pain levels.
- The second and the most important effect is that the shockwaves cause controlled micro-trauma (microscopic damage) to the pathological tissues. This results