Injured While Running? Shock Wave Therapy Can Help

Most runners will experience some type of injury, in fact 4 out of 5 do annually. However, running continues to be one of the most popular methods of exercise worldwide. In the United States alone, over 13 million runners crossed the finish line. With this being said, finding an efficient form of treatment for running injuries is essential. There was an article published in The Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery that showed recent research of treatment for injuries to runners with Extracorporeal Pulse Activated Technology (EPAT). Injuries such as, plantar fasciitis, lower-extremity tendinopathy (Achilles, posterior tibialis, patellar, hamstring).

Shock Wave Therapy – What Is It and How Can It Help Running Injuries?

Shock wave therapy – or EPAT (Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology) – by Curamedix is a new and innovational strategy to treat musculoskeletal pain and connective tissue disorders. It is evidence based with many successful outcomes, not only with damaged tissue, but managing the local metabolic and inflammatory milieu for many injuries such as plantar fasciitis and lower-extremity tendinopathy.

Curamedix Shock Wave Treatment in Cincinnati for running related injuries

Standard treatment for running injuries typically include limited activity, anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy. The next level if no success with the above standard treatment is, corticosteroid injections. There is much debate on the viability of corticosteroids given the concern for further damage to soft tissue and tendons.

What Injuries Were Used in the Study for EPAT?

The runners that were studied experienced lower extremity injuries and had received treatment from Dr. Adam Tenforde of Spaulding Rehabilitation in Cambridge, MA. The information used in the research included, the type of injury, clinical and treatment characteristics, demographics, and outcome of treatment.

Which Type of Shock Wave Therapy Was Used During the Study?

STORZ Medical radial pressure wave devices were used in during each study. For patients with hamstring injuries, they received a minimum of 4 EPAT sessions intending to meet 4 bars of pressure. All others received treatments expanding over 3 weeks with additional sessions as needed.

Patient tolerance will determine the frequency range and pressure, which can be between 12-15 Hz and 2-5 bars. During treatments the patients were advised to stop any anti-inflammatory medications and they did not receive topical anesthetics.

What Was the Outcome of the Studies?

As predicted by the researchers, regardless of sex, age, BMI or the nature of their condition, 79% of the patients showed significant improvement in their symptoms. This outcome was with 4 treatments and 95% showed impressive results with 5 treatments.

Schedule an Appointment

If you are looking for Curamedix Shock Wave Treatment in Cincinnati, please schedule an appointment with us through our online booking system. Our goal is to see clients for an initial visit as soon as possible, so we can get started on your treatment plan right away.