Looking for a specialist for shock wave therapy on tennis elbow?
Introduction
Shockwave therapy is used for tennis elbow when the usual conservative treatment options have failed, but one does not yet want to take the step of performing an operation. In the meantime, it has become firmly anchored in the guidelines for the therapy of tennis elbow. However, the statutory health insurance companies, which are sceptical about this new type of treatment, often reject the costs of shock wave therapy.
The reasons are manifold. Shock wave therapy is not a miracle weapon, but it still has very good response rates, especially in the case of chronic tennis elbow. From the point of view of the statutory health insurance, it should be critically reviewed that in advanced stages of tennis elbow more expensive alternatives are available.
- The operation of the tennis elbow or
- Radiotherapy (X-ray stimulation)
Mode of action of shock wave therapy
How exactly shock wave therapy helps with tennis elbow is not yet understood in the smallest detail. The “shock” created by the shock wave initiates repair mechanisms and stimulates blood circulation, which also helps to accelerate healing. It is assumed that the release of cell nucleus proteins triggers regeneration. It is also suspected that the pathologically altered tissue structures at the affected muscle or tendon attachments are broken down into tiny particles by the ultrasound impulses used and can be better transported away in this form and ultimately eliminated.
Implementation of shock wave therapy
As a rule, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is performed on an outpatient basis for a tennis elbow patient without the need for anesthesia or local anesthesia. Shock wave therapy works by first covering the diseased area of the elbow with a contact gel. The shock wave head from the device, which is similar to a kidney stone crusher, is then directed at the painful area and shock waves (ultrasound pressure waves) are then directed into the affected area.
With tennis elbow, low-energy shock waves can normally be used for this purpose, since the tendon attachments are located relatively directly under the skin. Many patients experience the shock wave as a small blow and therefore find the therapy unpleasant. However, many doctors work mainly with high-energy shock waves to maximize the effect.
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