Shockwave Therapy
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy is one of the treatments we have available for treating osteoarthritis, tendon and ligament injuries, fractures, and other musculoskeletal disorders in your pets. Despite its name, shockwave is NOT an electric shock at all. It is a special frequency acoustic (sound) wave that carries high energy to painful areas. Shockwave therapy involves the use of a “trode” is placed on the body to deliver a series of focused, high-pressure sound waves to the affected part of a pet’s body. Similar therapy is a device used in human orthopaedics, physiotherapy, sports medicine and urology.
Its main benefits are fast pain relief often leading to a restoration of mobility. It is a non-surgical treatment which reduces the need for painkillers and speeds up recovery and cures various conditions causing acute or chronic pain. It is thought that the high-energy sound waves stimulate cells and release healing growth factors in the body that reduce inflammation and swelling, increase blood flow, and help bones form and heal and enhance wound healing.
Here are a few signs that your pet has an oral health problem:
- Osteoarthritis
- Tendon & ligament injuries
- Wounds
- Bone fractures
- Back Pain
- Shoulder instability
The procedure requires your pet to be shaved or clipped in the location where the treatment is to be used and a gel applied so that the sound waves are not interrupted. The veterinarian will select the number of pulses for a specific area, apply the trode and deliver the pulses in less than 3-5 minutes. Many times, a single treatment is sufficient for long term healing. However, depending on the indication your vet may recommend a second or even third treatment. Animalcare Veterinary Hospital is the only veterinary facility in Jamaica that offers this therapy.
