Shockwave Therapy in Edina, MN

Non-Invasive Relief from Chronic Conditions

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Our Edina Chiropractic Clinic offers shockwave therapy! Call us at (952) 835-6750 to schedule your appointment today!

At Chiropractic Health and Wellness in Edina, MN, we are proud to provide a wide range of services to help people get well without addictive drugs and without complicated, expensive and risky surgeries.  Our introduction of Shockwave therapy to our clinical offerings is consistent with this aim.  In addition to what we already do with chiropractic care, massage, nutrition, and spinal rehabilitation, shockwave therapy allows us to help people with a range of chronic conditions and do so quickly and safely.

The History of Shockwave Therapy

Beginning in the 1980s, clinical researchers in Germany discovered and refined the use of shockwaves for the non-invasive treatment of kidney stones.  This process, which is still in use today, is called “lithotripsy”.  It involves directing a high energy, focused acoustic (soundwave) beam at kidney stones and other hardened masses in the body.  The shockwaves then break up the stone or hardened mass, and the body then excretes or reabsorbs the remnant particles. As sometimes happens with scientific discoveries, there were unintended benefits from doing the procedure.  For example, researchers noticed that the bone density of the pelvis increased in many patients.  This then led to an investigation of other biological effects of shockwave therapy.

Years of research led to the development of the SoftWave device.  The company, SoftWave TRT (Tissue Regeneration Technologies), LLC was founded in 2004.  The company has committed itself to extending the medical use of shockwaves from lithotripsy and urology to nerve and tissue regeneration, musculoskeletal pain and injuries, and potentially many more indications that have yet to be discovered.

How is SoftWave Different?

SoftWave TRT is a member of a class of devices that deliver shockwaves to the outside of the body (extracorporeal shockwave therapy) to achieve clinical benefits on the inside of the body.  There are currently over 300 published studies on the effectiveness of shockwave therapy.

There are a number of different types of shockwave devices on the market.  SoftWave TRT is the only such device that delivers short, frequent and high-intensity bursts of mechanical energy (in the form of a shockwave) in an unfocused beam.  Using an unfocused beam of mechanical energy creates a wider and deeper therapeutic energy zone in tissue that is injured, scarred, contains adhesions, is painful, or inflamed.

The Benefits of SoftWave Tissue Regeneration Technology

• Treats the Cause of Pain:

SoftWave TRT penetrates deep into the tissue and relieves both localized pain and pain that radiates into the area of complaint.  Therefore, it addresses not only the pain symptoms, but also the source of pain. SoftWave also stimulates nerve endings and thereby it recalibrates the perception of pain and provides lasting relief.

• Modulates the Inflammatory Response:

SoftWave helps regulate and normalize inflammation in injured and scarred tissue.  Inflammation is one of the leading causes of chronic pain and disability.

• Increases Circulation and Revascularizes Tissue:

One of the most remarkable effects of SoftWave is that, in the short-term, it increases circulation and, in the long-term, it can cause new blood vessels to grow into the injured tissue. This is why SoftWave has been so effective in treating such things as poorly healing wounds, diabetic ulcers, improper fracture healing, and even erectile dysfunction.

• Increases Mobility:

With increased blood flow, decreased inflammation and pain reduction it is a natural consequence that injured joints and tissues  move better.  It is sometimes the case that even one treatment will result in better mobility.

• Promotes Long-term Healing:

The device has sometimes been referred to as a “Stem Wave” device.  This is because SoftWave TRT, as the name implies, activates resident stem cells and causes other stem cells to migrate to the injury site where they work to repair the tissue. Stem cells are the “repairmen” of the body and can be used to heal and regenerate any tissue.  This is why tissue “regeneration” happens.  This effect takes place to the maximal extent over a couple months.

• Antibacterial Effect:

Studies have demonstrated that SoftWave creates an antibacterial effect which can reduce the risk of infection in injured and weakened tissue.

• No Drugs and No Surgery:

SoftWave is done without any drugs and it often allows people to avoid surgery altogether.

• Effective and Quick:

A SoftWave treatment can be done in as little as 10-15 minutes and many people report almost immediate changes in their conditions.

• No Side-effects:

Aside from occasional soreness in the day after treatment, there are virtually no side effects from SoftWave therapy.

What Conditions Respond Well to SoftWave TRT?

Who is Eligible for SoftWave TRT?

One of the great things about SoftWave is that it is extremely safe for almost anyone.  There are some conditions and circumstances that would preclude the use of SoftWave. If you are pregnant, or think you are, the use of shockwave therapy is contraindicated if the device is being used on a part of the body that is in close proximity to the uterus. For example, treating the knee, shoulder, hand, or foot is perfectly fine.   If you have cancer, a tumor or have a cardiac pacemaker you should avoid shockwave therapy.

The good news is that at Chiropractic Health and Wellness we will take a thorough history and do a regional examination to determine whether you are a good candidate for SoftWave.

How We Administer SoftWave Therapy

The electro acoustic shockwave that the SoftWave device produces moves most effectively through water. The electrode in the applicator head sits in a water bubble behind a membrane.  We apply a conductive gel to the body part being treated. The gel contains no medication, but merely serves as a mean of transferring the shockwave to the body which, itself, can be as much as 70% water (depending on age and the specific tissue being treated).  The wave travels at many times the speed of sound and penetrates deep into the tissue.  We move the applicator slowly over the injured area and look for areas of injury and inflammation.  One of the most interesting features of a SoftWave treatment is that you will feel almost nothing when the shockwave hits healthy tissue, but you will feel some mild pain when the shockwaves hit injured, scarred or inflamed tissue.

We will sweep through the localized pain and injury areas and may also work on areas that are distant from the injury site, but may be contributing to your pain.  For example, we might treat trigger points in your upper thigh that are referring pain into your knee.  Similarly, we may treat reflexology points in the hands and feet that also relate to the area of injury.  Depending on the number of pulses we deliver (an average is between 500 and 1000) the treatment may take 10 to 15 minutes. Once we determine that you are a good candidate for a course of treatment, we will deliver a number of treatments to you over several weeks.  The maximal healing response to SoftWave treatment takes 8-12 weeks.

How Will You Feel After a SoftWave Treatment?

A majority of people feel some amount of relief almost immediately after a treatment.  We have consistently seen that patients experience less pain and more mobility after treatment with SoftWave.  Some people experience mild soreness in the hours following treatment, but this reaction is generally of short duration.

What is a “Discovery” Session?

At Chiropractic Health and Wellness we do a “Discovery” session with all of our patients who are new to SoftWave TRT.  We usually spend 30-45 minutes during this session. We review your intake forms with you, take a further history, perform a regional examination, and then do a SoftWave session with you.  It is called a “Discovery” session because it is a time for us to discover exactly where the injured tissue is.  We will know that we have found it because you will tell us that it is uncomfortable in precise locations.  You will also discover whether the treatment is effective.  As I have already said, most people experience some relief, even after the first SoftWave session and over the next couple days.

Safe and Effective Solutions for Pain at Chiropractic Health and Wellness in Edina, MN

At Chiropractic Health and Wellness we feel privileged to be able to offer this state–of–the–art technology to our patients in the Edina, MN, area. It is our hope that we can help you live a life with no pain and with the mobility and performance you deserve.  It is especially gratifying to be able to accomplish these goals without any drugs and without you having to resort to surgery that is both risky and has numerous side effects.  If you, a member of your family, or a friend is suffering with chronic, nagging pain do not hesitate to contact us for further information about SoftWave TRT.  We are at your service.