Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy delivers focused acoustic pressure waves into injured tissue. These pulses transfer energy at the treatment site, creating tiny mechanical reactions that stimulate the body’s natural repair processes. This stimulation activates cells responsible for healing bone and connective tissue while improving circulation in the treated area.
As a result, many patients experience faster recovery and meaningful pain relief compared to passive treatments alone. Shockwave therapy is especially effective for stubborn musculoskeletal injuries where healing has slowed.
At Mint, shockwave therapy is performed by Dr. Christine White, who tailors each treatment to the patient’s condition to support safe, targeted healing and optimal recovery.
How Shockwave Therapy Works
Shockwave therapy uses targeted mechanical pulses to stimulate your body’s natural healing response. This stimulation boosts cellular metabolism, increases blood flow, and triggers the release of growth factors that help repair damaged tissue. At the same time, shockwave therapy can reduce pain by temporarily overstimulating nerve endings, creating a natural analgesic effect.
For more than 20 years, shockwave therapy has been used to treat a wide range of orthopaedic conditions. It is especially helpful when the body struggles to heal on its own, such as with tendinopathy, fasciopathy, and certain non-healing fractures. By encouraging tissue regeneration and improving circulation, shockwave therapy supports faster recovery and long-term pain relief.
Shockwave Therapy Treatment, Side Effects, and Contraindications
Shockwave treatments are non-invasive and promote accelerated recovery of injured soft tissue, bone, and joint pain. Shockwave is well tolerated by most patients, providing pain relief and restoring mobility with minimal discomfort. Most patients require three to six treatment sessions. There is no downtime for recovery, although limiting activity on the day of treatment is recommended.
There are no significant shockwave therapy side effects. Some patients may experience mild redness, swelling, bruising, or temporary increase in pain which resolves quickly.
Shockwave is not used on the lower back or near the uterus of people who are pregnant, over malignant tumours, directly over the brain or spinal cord, over the lungs or abdomen, or on patients with significant bleeding disorders. Patients who have received a cortisone injection should wait 6 weeks before using shockwave therapy on the same area.