Shock wave therapy

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Shock wave therapy at OTC | REGENSBURG

With shock wave therapy at OTC | REGENSBURG, we treat your condition precisely based on the previously established diagnosis. We use two different types of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), depending on which is more suitable for your condition. Using state-of-the-art equipment, we offer you the best possible treatment.

In our center we offer short-term appointments for private patients, BG patients (work, commuting and school accidents) and self-pay patients.

We offer the following variants of shock wave therapy:

Focused ESWT for deeper tissue layers
Radial ESWT for superficial tissue layers

Would you like to make an appointment for shock wave therapy?

During a consultation visit, we will review your condition together and discuss whether shockwave therapy is right for you. Based on your individual diagnosis, we will customize the treatment plan accordingly.

Shockwave therapy Regensburg: choosing the right option

There are two main types of extracorporeal shock wave therapy: focused focused ESWT and radial ESWT. Focused ESWT targets a specific area and has a higher energy. This method is particularly suitable for deeper tissue damage, as the sound waves are aimed directly at the affected area. In contrast, radial ESWT has a broader sound wave front and is more suitable for more superficial treatments. It is important to note that all patients should be considered individually before deciding which type of ESWT is best suited to achieve the best possible result. At OTC | REGENSBURG, we offer both types of shock wave therapy.

How does shock wave therapy work?

During the session, the patient lies comfortably on a treatment table. This is an important requirement to ensure the procedure is as comfortable and pain-free as possible.
Before the actual treatment begins, the area to be treated is located using ultrasound imaging and compared with the findings from previous MRI scans, if available. The shockwave therapy applicator is then placed precisely on the identified area.
The exact positioning of the pain point is performed during the treatment itself. Most patients experience little to no pain during this process.
Shockwave therapy usually takes about 15 minutes. Sedation is not necessary, and local anesthesia is generally not required.

Areas of application of extracorporeal shock wave therapy

The earlier idea that extracorporeal shockwave therapy leads to the destruction of the treated bone tissue and thus triggers a healing stimulus, as with a broken bone, has now been proven wrong. The energy used in the used in orthopaedic practices is far too low. used in orthopaedic practices is far too low to cause mechanical destruction of the bone tissue.

The recognized medical explanation for the effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy today is based on a “biological effect” on the treated tissue. on the treated tissue. This can be explained by various processes through which extracorporeal shock wave therapy helps with heel pain and many other symptoms such as discomfort in the shoulder joint and elbow.

When is ESWT an option?

Typical indications for ESWT

Heel spur inflammation (plantar fasciitis)
Tennis elbow (epicondylitis humeri radialis)
Shoulder pain (tendinosis calcarea)
Non-healing bone fracture (pseudarthrosis)

More reasons for ESWT

Pain at the Achilles tendon insertion (Achillodynia near the insertion)
Golfer’s elbow (epicondylitis humeri ulnaris)
Stress edema and fatigue fractures of the bone
Painful bone edema as an accompanying pain of joint osteoarthritis
Bursitis of the hip joint (bursitis trochanterica)
Osteonecrosis
Non-healing corrective osteotomies (axis correction surgery) or fusion operations (arthrodesis)
and much more.

What is behind ESWT

Shock waves shake the tissue (mechanotransduction)
Stimulation of the cell nucleus by the excited cytoskeleton resulting in gene expression
Stimulation of the formation of new blood vessels (enzymatic tissue response, neovascularization)
Changes in the nerve cells with changes in pain
Hyperstimulation analgesia (gate control mechanism)

Your attending physician will be happy to explain the important details to you at a personal appointment.

Would you like to make an appointment for shock wave therapy?

What is shock wave therapy?

Shockwave therapy has been one of the best methods of pain relief and treatment since the 1990s. Regensburg has one of the most modern medical centers in Bavaria, the OTC | REGENSBURG, which also offers extracorporeal shock wave therapy is also practiced. This is a medical procedure in which short, powerful sound waves are directed at the body from outside in order to treat pain and injuries. Used in the specialist fields of orthopaedics and trauma surgery, it has proven to be highly effective in relieving pain in numerous studies.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy uses a shock wave device specially designed for orthopaedic and trauma surgery applications. This generates sound waves and is directed at the affected area of the body using a transducer. The sound waves penetrate the skin, subcutaneous tissue, tendons and muscles and then trigger deep healing processes in two specific tissues in particular: bone and nerve tissue. In this way, the metabolism of the nerve and bone tissue is stimulated and thus stimulates the healing of the tissue and the alleviation of irritation.

For private patients, the costs of shockwave therapy are almost always covered by the responsible payer, which also makes the treatment very attractive from this point of view.

Reasons for shock wave therapy

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy is always useful when preventive exercises or basic conservative therapy have not helped. Conservative basic therapy includes insoles, orthoses (splints), anti-inflammatory medication (so-called NSAIDs), load control, physiotherapy or physical measures such as the use of cold. If the desired treatment success has not been achieved, extracorporeal shock wave therapy can be used with the right indication to achieve excellent, long-lasting results can be can be achieved. As the tissue is healed structurally, ESWT achieves more than just a short-term suppression of pain.

Dosing the use of shock wave therapy

Nevertheless, extracorporeal shock wave therapy should not be used excessively. The treatment is always based on a detailed examination by your attending physician. For example, an MRI is used to assess whether there is any bony irritation or nerve irritation (e.g. tarsal tunnel syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome). If necessary, other specialists are also consulted for these examinations before a structured treatment plan is drawn up based on the results. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy is an important part of this treatment plan, but is never an individual measure. It must always be embedded in an overall therapeutic concept.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy: exclusion criteria & side effects

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has certain limitations in its use due to potential contraindications and unintended effects. In these cases, the use of extracorporeal shock wave therapy is not advisable:

Treatment in the vicinity of growth plates in children and adolescents
Coagulation disorders
Acute infection
Treatment in the vicinity of lung tissue
Treatment near the brain or nerves
Pregnancy
Treatment in the vicinity of malignant tumors

According to the current state of medical knowledge, there is no reliable evidence of persistent complications from extracorporeal shock wave therapy. Nevertheless, tendon ruptures can occur in rare cases. Studies have shown that tendon damage can occur at very high energies of more than 0.6 mJ per square millimeter. However, these described tendon ruptures always occurred after several cortisone injections. It is therefore more likely that cortisone was responsible for the tendon rupture and that shock wave therapy was simply unable to prevent the rupture.

According to medical literature, local pain, including headaches or migraines, reddening of the skin, blistering and hematomas can theoretically occur during and after treatment. In our hands, serious complications have not yet occurred and adverse effects are an absolute rarity. In our opinion, extracorporeal shock wave therapy shows very good treatment results and a very favorable side effect profile.

Important information after treatment

There are two important factors that must be taken into account after extracorporeal shock wave therapy. Firstly, on the day of treatment or for a few days, there may be a slight increase in pulling or pressure in the treated area. However, this undesirable effect occurs very rarely and the discomfort is often minimal and short-lived. In addition, the regenerative effect of the treatment never occurs after a few days, but often only 10 to 12 weeks after the end of treatment: bone and nerve tissue are not able to reduce irritation within a few days. These only subside once the tissue has healed. This process takes time.

Patients do not require explicit follow-up treatment after extracorporeal shock wave therapy. As shock wave therapy is generally always embedded in a multimodal treatment concept, it is often combined with other short-term measures. If the pain increases temporarily, relief can often be achieved with anti-inflammatory or painkillers. When treating a calcific shoulder, it is advisable to take it easy for one or two days and avoid working overhead. The majority of professions do not require an inability to work after ESWT.

As shock wave therapy is an effective means of alleviating the clinical picture, but cannot prevent a new formation, it is advisable to carry out exercises or follow other measures for prevention, depending on the diagnosis. These can include massages, the use of certain tapes or generally avoiding excessive strain.

Shockwave therapy at OTC | REGENSBURG - FAQ

How successful is shock wave therapy?

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy is a scientifically well-researched and established method for many diagnoses. It is regularly used in orthopaedic and urological medicine in particular. There are numerous clinical studies that prove its effectiveness for various indications. For this reason, recognition by insurance companies is generally possible without any problems. Private health insurers and many subsidies also recognize its effectiveness for these diagnoses practically without restriction:

Heel spur inflammation (plantar fasciitis)
Tennis elbow (epicondylitis humeri radialis)
Shoulder pain (tendonosis calcarea)
Non-healing bone fracture (pseudarthrosis)

Pain at the Achilles tendon insertion (Achillodynia close to the insertion) is also predominantly established with private health insurers and many subsidies. This speaks for the good scientific basis of this method for these diagnoses, without which insurers generally do not cover the costs. However, it is important to note that the results of the studies vary, some diagnoses have not yet been sufficiently researched and there is a lack of complete proof of effectiveness. However, this is the case for many issues in medicine and is not in itself a criterion for excluding a successful therapy.

We see extracorporeal shock wave therapy as an important tool in the treatment ladder for many orthopaedic conditions. It is never an exclusive treatment. We will never persuade a patient to undergo this treatment. We merely provide information about the advantages, disadvantages, risks and alternative treatment options. The final decision is always made by the patient. As standard, we always recommend clarifying the cost coverage with your insurance company and subsidy office in advance.

When is shock wave therapy covered by health insurance?

As described above, extracorporeal shock wave therapy is generally covered by private health insurers and subsidies for these diagnoses:

Heel spur inflammation (plantar fasciitis)
Tennis elbow (epicondylitis humeri radialis)
Shoulder pain (tendonosis calcarea)
Non-healing bone fracture (pseudarthrosis)

Reimbursement for the treatment of pain at the Achilles tendon insertion (Achillodynia near the insertion) is also largely established with private health insurers and many subsidies. Nevertheless, we always recommend that you ask your insurer to cover the costs. We will provide you with a cost estimate for this on request. As a rule, the treatment comprises six appointments at a frequency of one treatment per week.

Unfortunately, in our experience, extracorporeal shock wave therapy is almost never covered by statutory health insurance. Although there is a reimbursement option for heel spur inflammation (plantar fasciitis), the hurdles for reimbursement are so high that no patient usually wants to wait. These requirements include six months of pre-treatment with various conservative measures such as insoles, physiotherapy, NSAIDs and more. What many people don’t know and what many insurance companies don’t communicate sufficiently to their patients: The six months of pre-treatment must necessarily be with the same doctor – even treatment in the same practice is not enough. If you change doctors, the period starts all over again.

Where can I get shock wave therapy?

Are you looking for shock wave therapy? Regensburg’s OTC | REGENSBURG is a modern center for medical care in the fields of orthopaedics and traumatology. This naturally includes treatment using shock wave therapy.

How painful is shock wave therapy?

Shock wave therapy itself very rarely causes pain. Only a slight increase in pulling or pressure in the treated area may occur in rare cases. However, this usually disappears by itself.