"What You Need to Know About Shockwave Therapy for Shoulder and Arm Pain Relief"
- Julian Simpson
- Jun 5, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 23
"What You Need to Know About Shockwave Therapy for Shoulder and Arm Pain Relief"
What’s Really Behind Shoulder and Arm Pain?
Shoulder or arm pain can be frustrating—and if you’ve ever wondered “Why does this keep happening?”—you’re not alone. Let’s break down some of the most common culprits behind upper limb pain:
💥 Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy (RCT):The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that stabilize your shoulder. When these tendons get irritated or degenerate over time, pain sets in. Rotator cuff problems are actually the most common cause of shoulder pain, affecting about 2–3.8% of people.
💥 Subacromial Impingement Syndrome (SAIS):This condition happens when the rotator cuff tendons get “pinched” under the bony arch of your shoulder. It’s responsible for a whopping 50–70% of shoulder pain cases.
💥 Epicondylitis (Tennis or Golfer’s Elbow):Whether it’s lateral epicondylitis (outside of the elbow—aka tennis elbow) or medial epicondylitis (inside of the elbow—aka golfer’s elbow), both are caused by repetitive microtrauma and degeneration in the tendons.
How Can Shockwave Therapy Help?
Shockwave therapy is one of the exciting tools we use to help manage stubborn pain. Here’s how it works:
✨ Pain Relief: It interrupts pain signals at the nerve level and stimulates your body’s own natural pain-blocking mechanisms.✨ Tissue Healing: Shockwaves encourage blood flow and fibroblast activity, which helps with tendon repair and regeneration.✨ Calcium Reduction: For conditions like calcific tendinopathy, shockwaves can help break down calcium deposits in soft tissue.
Is Shockwave Therapy Safe?
Yes! Shockwave therapy is considered a safe and effective treatment for many soft tissue conditions in the shoulder, elbow, and beyond. Even in cases where results aren’t perfect, it can still be a valuable step before considering surgery.
👉 If shoulder or arm pain is holding you back, know that there are non-invasive options like shockwave therapy that can help you move, lift, and live more comfortably.
Shockwave Therapy
Q: What is shockwave therapy?A non-invasive treatment that uses sound waves to stimulate healing in injured tissues.
Q: What conditions can it treat?Plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, tennis elbow, and chronic muscle pain.
Q: Does shockwave therapy hurt?Some patients feel mild discomfort during treatment, but it usually eases quickly.
Q: How many sessions are needed?Most patients notice results within 3–6 sessions.
For more information about how we can help. Please call Health Wise Chiropractic 03 9467 7889 or book online to see one of our Chiropractors in Sunbury or Melton/Strathtulloh Today!
We are also really proud to offer our patients an APP for their Mobile- iPad. With access to your rehab exercises and our health tip blogs with over 500 articles.
Chiropractic has moved online. We offer our online program -STAND CORRECTED- To help you through the day.
We have over 30 programs on different health conditions
Each program contains - Information about the conditions - things to do and things to avoid - nutrition advice - all the stretches that are needed to help
References Simplicio CL, Purita J, Murrell W, Santos GS, Dos Santos RG, Lana JFSD. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy mechanisms in musculoskeletal regenerative medicine. J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2020 May;11(Suppl 3):S309-S318. doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2020.02.004. Epub 2020 Feb 12. PMID: 32523286; PMCID: PMC7275282.
Testa G, Vescio A, Perez S, Consoli A, Costarella L, Sessa G, Pavone V. Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy Treatment in Upper Limb Diseases: A Systematic Review. J Clin Med. 2020 Feb 6;9(2):453. doi: 10.3390/jcm9020453. PMID: 32041301; PMCID: PMC7074316.