In modern medicine, with technological advances, innovative therapies are emerging one after another. Among them, focused shock wave therapy, with its unique advantages, is becoming a popular choice for treating musculoskeletal diseases.
I. Principle of Focused Shock Wave
The core of focused shock wave therapy lies in the integrated piezoelectric shock wave source. Shock waves generated by a shock wave generator can penetrate the skin surface and reach deep tissues. When acting on the affected area, they produce various physical and physiological effects:
– Cavitation Effect: When shock waves act on tissues, the gas within the tissues expands and collapses rapidly, creating high-speed microjets and cavitation. This leads to the rupture of local microcapillaries, leakage of blood and cellular media, generation of free radicals, stimulation of neovascularization, and improved local blood circulation. It also helps to resolve soft tissue adhesions.
– Piezoelectric Effect: As a mechanical force, shock waves increase bone stress, produce polarization potentials, and trigger the piezoelectric effect. This accelerates healing, promotes collagen production, boosts metabolism and microcirculation, and stimulates the formation of new blood vessels in ligaments and the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts, thereby promoting bone healing.
– Metabolic Activation Effect: The therapy increases blood supply to the affected area, brings in new growth factors, and induces the transformation of stem cells into normal tissue structures. This reduces inflammation and edema and speeds up recovery.
– Analgesic Effect: High-intensity shock waves strongly stimulate peripheral nerve tissues, reducing nerve sensitivity and blocking pain signals. They also induce changes in free radicals around cells, releasing pain-inhibiting substances and increasing the pain threshold to relieve pain.
These effects work together to make focused shock wave therapy highly effective for various musculoskeletal diseases.
II. Features of Focused Shock Wave
Focused shock wave therapy boasts several significant features that make it highly favored in the medical field:
– Intelligent Operation and User-friendly Design: The handheld device has a 1.8-inch screen for easy operation and adjustment, improving the convenience and efficiency of the procedure. This design allows medical staff to control the treatment process more precisely and reduce operational errors.
– Variable Focus and Precise Focal Point: With seven interchangeable silicone cushions, the therapy can achieve fine and accurate penetration depths, catering to different pain depths and treatment needs. This flexibility enables focused shock wave therapy to adapt to complex treatment scenarios.
– Deep Penetration and Broad Coverage: By replacing silicone cushions of different heights, the device can adjust the penetration depth of shock waves, making the treatment focus more precise. The strong penetration power ensures deep tissues are effectively treated, expanding the therapeutic scope.
– Non-invasive: No skin incisions or drug injections are required, reducing patient discomfort and accelerating recovery. This non-invasive feature makes focused shock wave therapy a gentle and effective treatment option.
– Safe and Effective: It avoids the risks and complications of traditional surgery, ensuring patient safety and enabling wider clinical application.
– Green Therapy: Due to its safety, non-invasiveness, and efficiency, focused shock wave therapy is known as a “green therapy,” aligning with modern medicine’s pursuit of low damage and high recovery.
– Comfortable Treatment and Pain-free on the Skin: Although the piezoelectric shock wave has a high peak pressure at the focal point, the energy density on the skin surface is low due to the larger aperture angle of the wave source. This reduces skin pain and tissue discomfort.
– Ultra-quiet and Low-noise: Using a reverse hemisphere surface integration technology, the piezoelectric elements are combined to reduce frequency noise, providing a vibration-free and low-noise treatment environment.
– Short Treatment Time: Each treatment session lasts about 10 to 15 minutes, making it efficient and comfortable.
These features make focused shock wave therapy more efficient, safe, and comfortable, enhancing the treatment experience for patients.
III. Advantages of Focused Shock Wave Therapy
Focused shock wave therapy has significant advantages in the medical field and plays an essential role in treating various diseases:
– Multi-field Applications: In orthopedics, focused shock wave machines are widely used for the rehabilitation of fractures, bone cracks, arthritis, and ligament injuries. They effectively promote bone and joint repair. In sports medicine, the therapy aids athletes in faster recovery and improved performance. In neurology and rehabilitation medicine, it relieves chronic pain and rehabilitates nerve injuries by stimulating body tissues and promoting blood circulation.
– Treatment of Various Diseases: Focused shock wave therapy can effectively treat numerous conditions, such as Achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, tibial disorders, knee pain, hip pain, elbow disorders, shoulder disorders, calcific tendinitis, wrist disorders, leg pain, lower back pain, and buttock pain. Whether for common sports injuries or complex chronic pain, it offers effective solutions.
– Improved Treatment Efficiency: With a short treatment time of about 10 to 15 minutes per session, it quickly alleviates pain, promotes tissue repair and regeneration, shortens recovery periods, and enhances treatment efficiency.
– Reduced Complications: As a non-invasive treatment, it avoids the risks and complications of traditional surgery, reduces patient suffering and recovery time, and improves treatment safety.
IV. Application Advantages of Focused Shock Wave in Daily Life and Business
In daily life, focused shock wave therapy offers many benefits for patients. Its non-invasive, pain-free, and fast-acting nature helps patients recover quickly and reduces lifestyle inconveniences caused by illnesses. For instance, patients with chronic pain can rapidly relieve their pain and resume normal lives, while those with sports injuries can return to sports activities sooner.
In the business realm, focused shock wave therapy also shows great potential. For medical institutions, the focused shock wave device’s intelligent operation and user-friendly design improve treatment efficiency and reduce labor costs. Its broad range of applications and significant therapeutic effects attract more patients, increasing revenue. Additionally, as an advanced medical technology, it enhances the institution’s reputation and competitiveness, helping to establish a positive brand image.
For medical equipment manufacturers, the development and production of focused shock wave devices have a promising market outlook. With increasing health demands and higher expectations for medical technologies, these devices are expected to be well-received. Manufacturers can gain more market share and profits by continuously improving technology and optimizing product performance to meet different needs.
V. Comparison of Focused Shock Wave with Pneumatic and Electromagnetic Shock Waves
In the field of shock wave therapy, pneumatic and electromagnetic shock waves are also common. Here’s a comparison of the three:
Pneumatic Shock Wave
Pneumatic shock waves are generated by compressed gas driving a bullet to impact. They have relatively low energy and shallow penetration, mainly for treating superficial tissues like muscle soreness and soft tissue injuries. The treatment head is large and less flexible, and the process can be noisy and uncomfortable. Its focusing ability is poor, with scattered energy distribution and less significant therapeutic effects.
Electromagnetic Shock Wave
Electromagnetic shock waves are produced via electromagnetic induction. They have high energy and moderate penetration, making them suitable for various diseases. However, the treatment head is large and less flexible, and the process may generate heat, requiring a cooling system to protect the skin. Its focusing is less precise than focused shock waves, with a broader treatment area that may affect surrounding tissues.
Focused Shock Wave
Focused shock waves use piezoelectric effects and focusing technology to concentrate energy on specific treatment points. Its advantages include:
1. High and adjustable energy to meet different tissue depths.
2. Superior focusing with concentrated energy distribution for effective treatment.
3. A small and flexible treatment head for easy operation, low noise, and high patient comfort.
4. High safety and effectiveness, minimizing damage to surrounding tissues.
In summary, focused shock wave therapy outperforms pneumatic and electromagnetic shock waves in shock wave generation, energy characteristics, treatment head design, comfort, therapeutic effects, safety, treatment time, and applicability. Its superior focusing enables precise treatment, with significant therapeutic effects and high patient comfort. As a safe and effective “green therapy,” it offers a better treatment experience for patients.
