Welcome to my blog! My name is Geoff. I have always been a sporty kind of chap. I love to go long distance running and I also play football and rugby. One day after a long run, I had a terrible pain in my foot. I thought I had just been overdoing it a little bit, so I decided to rest up. A week later, it was no better. I was still in a lot of pain and had to drop out of a couple of football matches. My doctor sent me to see a podiatrist who examined my foot and explained I had damaged a ligament. The podiatrist helped me to get back to full health. I decided to start this blog to explain the importance of good foot care.
Jumper's knee is the name commonly given to a condition called patellar tendinopathy. This condition is most common in sports that involve a lot of jumping, such as basketball or volleyball, but it can also affect footballers, hockey players, and runners. Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive treatment for this condition that can give good results. Read on to learn more.
What Is Shockwave Therapy?
During a shockwave therapy session, a physiotherapist or podiatrist uses a device to send acoustic waves through the skin to the injured tendon. These acoustic waves are the same as ordinary sound waves, but at a frequency too low for humans to hear.
The waves travel deep into the tissue and provide stimulation to the damaged tendon to encourage it to heal. Part of this process involves the shockwaves breaking down scar tissue, which may have formed if the injury has been ongoing for some time. Once the scar tissue has been broken down and removed, the healing process can progress normally.
Does Shockwave Therapy Work For Jumper's Knee?
Research shows that shockwave therapy is more effective at treating jumper's knee than conventional treatments, including anti-inflammatory medications, physiotherapy, exercise programs, and strapping the knee. People who got shockwave therapy reported a better improvement in their symptoms and a lower rate of recurrence of symptoms than people who received other treatments.
How Long Does Shockwave Therapy Take to Work?
Some people experience an immediate relief from pain after their first session of shockwave therapy. Others need multiple sessions before they start to feel any benefit. Podiatrists usually recommend having at least a few sessions, often spaced a week or more apart, to help the knee to heal.
How Can You Get Shockwave Therapy?
The best way to access shockwave therapy is to visit a podiatrist so that they can assess your knee and determine whether this form of treatment is likely to be beneficial for you. As well as examining your knee, a podiatrist might ask you questions about how long you have had the injury as well as how much pain it causes you. Try to be as specific and detailed as possible when answering these questions so that the podiatrist can make the correct diagnosis.
Is Shockwave Therapy Alone Enough?
To prevent jumper's knee from coming back, your podiatrist might prescribe some strengthening exercises. These exercises will strengthen the tissues around your knee to help you avoid developing the same injury again in future. Learn more by contacting podiatrists who offer shockwave therapy.
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