Singapore chiropractorDr. Stakes sees a number of patients in his Orchard Road and Raffles Place clinics with shoulder issues—such as rotator cuff tendonitis or tendinopathy, calcifying tendinitis and frozen shoulder, as well as epicondylitis (tennis and golfer's elbow) —all of which can result in a great deal of pain in this area of the body. Fortunately, extra-corporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has been found to have high success rates when it comes to easing these types of irritation and inflammation based in the shoulder area.

For example, research published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research reports that shock wave therapy’s rate of success for individuals struggling with calcifying tendinitis is somewhere between 78% - 91%. Calcifying tendinitis, which is when calcium deposits form within the rotator cuff of the shoulder, appears most often in middle aged persons 30 to 40 years of age with a higher prevalence rate in those dealing with diabetes.

Furthermore, the results of this particular treatment remedy appear to be long-lasting as more than half of one study’s participants still reported themselves as “complaint free” a couple of years after therapy ended. An additional one-third of the subjects studied indicated that they still felt “significantly better” than they had prior to their shock wave therapy sessions. In total more than 80% were better than before shockwave therapy.

Another recent study was conducted on shock wave therapy to determine its effects on a rather common shoulder condition: frozen shoulder. This research was published in the International Journal of Preventative Medicine and involved 36 patients, some of which were treated with extra-corporeal shock wave therapy and rest receiving sham treatments. Those who engaged in true shock wave therapy experienced gains in regard to their flexion, extension, abduction, and external rotation of the shoulder area, thereby enhancing their level of movement and limiting their disability. The results also showed that this particular treatment remedy provided positive results in regard to the individuals’ level of pain.

It is studies like these that confirm how effective shockwave therapy can be for shoulder issues such as those involving the rotator cuff-based and its surrounding tendons. Therefore, if you have pain in your shoulder area as a result of any of these conditions, or any other condition, call Dr. Stakes and make an appointment today. His goal is to help you become as pain free as possible!

Resources

Miller, J. (2015, March 22). Rotator cuff calcific tendinitis. Retrieved from

http://physioworks.com.au/injuries-conditions-1/rotator-cuff-calcific-tendinitis on August 4, 2015

Vahdatpour, B et al. (2014, July). Efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave therapy in frozen shoulder. International Journal of Preventative Medicine, 5(7), 875-881. Retrieved from  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4124565/

Wang, C. (2012, March 20). Extracorporeal shockwave therapy in musculoskeletal disorders. Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, 7(11), doi:10.1186/1749-799X-7-11

Dr Stakes has been using ESWT since 2008 and is a Certified Swiss DolorCalst Academy trainer for South East Asia, having presented at an International Conference and trained users in Guanzhou, China, Changi General Hospital, Singapore and National University Hospital, Singapore.