Extracorpeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT)

Piezo utilizes the soundwaves to break up calcifications found in soft tissue. This type of treatment is similar to lithotripsy, which is the procedure urologist use to break up kidney stones.  Breaking up these calcifications is beneficial in promoting healing, achieving more range of motion, and decreasing a patient's pain threshold. Each time the treatment is performed the unhealthy tissue is broken up which initiates the healing process. To obtain full benefits from this type of treatment, it will be conducted multiple times over the course of several weeks.  

Piezo can be used for a number of injuries, but is most successful in treating conditions such as; fasciitis, tendonitis/tendinosis, or other chronic overuse injuries.   To be a candidate for Piezo, one of our providers will assess the injury and determine eligibility.

During the treatment, the patient can expect to feel a dull ache sensation. Many patients describe it as feeling comparable to a toothache or a build-up of pressure. The facilitator of the treatment will ask for the patient to verbalize when they feel that sensation as well as rate the intensity on a pain scale of 1-10. The pain/discomfort should be between 5-7 the pain scale during the treatment.