THE ConTriBUTions of CHiroPraCTors Last year the American Journal of Sports Medicine published three double blind randomized articles on the success of treating plantar fasci- itis, patellar tendinopathy and achil- les tendonpathy. Chiropractors have now developed and evolved SWT to treat conditions such as piriformis syn- drome, frozen shoulder, hallux rigidus, quad hamstring and adductor strains. The most striking and beneficial effects have been on trigger points. The imme- diate relief provided by SWT has been a momentous step forward in relieving patients symptomatology. Working in synergy with chiroprac- tors has also facilitated the treatment of stress fractures, post-operative healing of tendon bone-interfaces and calcific tendinopathies with far greater success than traditional methods such as ultra- sound, interferential, laser and manual techniques. Traditionally, for numerous students and practising chiropractors, there has been very poor evidence for the successful treatment of tendinopathies with the traditional treatments available – SWT has improved this situation. “In 2007, I attended a shockwave symposium where Dr. Gleitz from Lux- enbourg presented on the strategies and benefits of using SWT for the treatment of trigger points and various myofas- cial conditions,” continues Dr. Micheli. “After that, we started to use SWT on more conditions than just insertional tendinopathies. The healing of injuries and treatment outcomes significantly improved, more so than with any other modality we have used in the past.” “We observed an excellent exam- ple of this improved healing potential last year following the world ironman championships. One of my athletes, preparing for competition, suffered a horrific bike crash, which would have ended her career. Fortunately, through a combination of Active Release Tech- niques (ART) and SWT, we had her back training and competing again within no time.” CosTs To THE CHiroPraCTor and PaTiEnT aCCEssiBiliTy Shockwave therapy has been made af- fordable and accessible to all Canadi- ans by Storz, Shockwave Canada, third 42 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | FEBRUARY 2010 The repetitive trauma of training and competing makes shockwave therapy (SWT) a valuable tool for healing certain injuries. party insurance and Workers Compen- sation. This has helped to make SWT an integral part of the rehabilitation process. In fact, one jurisdiction in western Canada relocates patients to clinics where SWT is available. “SWT was an easy transition into my practice as I already used Active Release Techniques (ART) for manu- ally diagnosing and treating soft tissue related dysfunction,” notes Micheli. “The application of shockwave only takes five to seven minutes and it can be used on almost any injury.” “This modality has now become an integral part of our clinic,” concludes Dr. Micheli. “On average we probably use SWT 15 to 20 times per day, which more than recovers the cost of the unit for the chiropractor in less than one year. One interesting result that we have noticed is that patients have also realized how im- pactful the modality has been on their recovery. In fact, they have realized this to the point where they actually request SWT to be a part of the treatment plan after they have sustained an injury.” Dr. Jamie Grimes is a chiropractor and clinic director for Synergy Health Man- agement in Victoria, British Columbia. He notes, “In my thirteen years in prac- tice, I’ve worked with multiple Olym- pic gold medallists, record holders and professional athletes in many sports. In order to be able to get them recovered quickly, and back to training fast, I’ve had to stay ahead of the curve and learn many techniques from physicians and therapists from many countries all over the world. However, until I discovered extracorporeal pulse activated treatment in Europe, I had never come across a treatment that could reliably and com- pletely resolve chronic nagging tendon or ligament to bone enthesopathies, nor one that healed acute enthesopathies in record time. We now use it for remov- ing stubborn trigger points and needle free acupuncture with incredible suc- cess. In our community we have become the established expert leaders in shock- wave therapy and rehabilitation. We re- ceive regular referrals from the local GPs, sports medicine specialists, physiatrists and orthopedic surgeons in order to treat their patients and avoid surgery . Pulse activated treatment is proven in the lit- erature and it works.” An impressive technological ad- vance, SWT has benefited patients worldwide and new SWT techniques and treatments are constantly emerg- ing, globally. SWT is now ubiquitous and appreciated by patients around the world. The uses for SWT are limited only by one’s imagination and skill. • www.canadianchiropractor.ca
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor February 2010: Page 42
