Overview

Shock Wave therapy is a safe, quick and non-invasive treatment using energy from sound waves to activate the self healing properties of the body and accelerate the recovery process. Common causes of Elbow Pain: Tennis elbow , or lateral epicondylitis, is a painful condition which affects the tendons that attach to the outside of the elbow. Golfer’s elbow , or medial epicondylitis, is a similar condition affecting the inside of the elbow instead. Tennis elbow is much more common than golfer’s elbow. Despite their names, these injuries can occur in people who overuse their wrists and arms through repeated motions and do not affect just tennis players and golfers only. Shockwave Therapy: Firstly, through a process known as cavitation, Shock Wave therapy stimulates the production of fibroblasts and tenocytes. These are the cells responsible for the healing of connective tissues such as tendons. The end result is tissue regeneration. Secondly, the Shock Waves stimulate microscopic circulation and therefore metabolism within the treatment area, which promotes healing and the breakdown of calcification deposits, also known as spurs. Lastly, Shock Wave therapy diminishes pain by over-stimulation of the nerves that send pain signals to the brain. To conduct the treatment for elbow pain, we place the treatment probe over the affected area and deliver the required number of shocks. The treatment for elbow pain is tolerable. Most patients will need about 2 to 3 sessions each 2 weeks apart. If you are suffering from elbow pain and require treatment for elbow pain, speak to your Doctor and ask if Shock Wave therapy is right for you.

What this means for a clinic visit in Malaysia

Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is irritation where the forearm tendons attach to the outside of the elbow. You do not need to play tennis to get it. Repetitive gripping, typing with a bent wrist, and tool use are common triggers. The pain is usually on the outer bony point and worsens when you lift a kettle, shake hands, or twist a jar. Golfer's elbow is the similar problem on the inner side.

Most people improve with time, load changes, and a structured exercise programme that gradually strengthens the wrist extensors. A clinician may also look at neck and shoulder movement, because pain referred from the neck can mimic elbow tendon pain. Ice, a counterforce strap, and short courses of anti-inflammatory medicine help some people with daily pain. Injections are used more selectively than they once were, because repeated steroid injections can weaken tendon tissue.

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy uses sound-wave pulses on the sore tendon. Sessions are short and do not require an incision. You feel tapping or a deep ache during treatment. Clinics that offer it for elbow pain usually suggest a series of sessions alongside exercises, not instead of them. Evidence is mixed: some trials show reduced pain for chronic tennis elbow that has already failed simple care, and others show modest or no advantage over placebo. Ask what result the clinic expects by a set week, and what you should do if pain is unchanged.

See a doctor sooner if the elbow is hot and swollen, you cannot straighten the arm after an injury, or you have numbness in the hand. Those patterns are not typical tendon overload. Shockwave is also not a substitute for assessing a new injury. Our men's health and GP service pages describe how clinic visits are usually structured. They are not a booking form.