Shockwaves can be generated in one of three ways: electrohydraulic, electromagnetic, and piezoelectric. Electrohydraulic devices generate the greatest peak energy and largest focal area. The electromagnetic and piezoelectric devices generate less energy and deposit it in a smaller focal area. Electrohydraulic shockwave generators are the only type that generate a true shockwave at all energy settings.

Oakhill uses the ProPulse Shockwave machine, manufactured by PulseVet,  which generates shockwaves electrohydraulically and is largely considered the “state of the art” in veterinary shockwave machines. Oakhill has the full complement of probes offered, including 4 different probes for equine use, each releasing the shockwaves at different depths facilitating treatment of multiple types of conditions and injuries, as well as the recently released X-Trode, which is designed for comfortable  use in small animals.

Shockwave therapy is widely used in Europe and other parts of the world in human medicine. It has been used effectively in treating conditions such as tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis (heel pain), rotator cuff injuries, calcifying tendonitis of the shoulder, femoral head necrosis (hip degeneration), non-union fractures, wounds and burns, osteomyelitis (bone infection) with draining tracts, and myofascial pain. Recent research has expanded its potential applications to include treating periodontal disease, infected wounds, and speeding up fracture healing, reducing the risk of non-union fractures. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Shockwave Therapy for treating plantar fasciitis and tennis elbow that have not responded to six months of conventional therapy.

No, there is no treatment that is successful in every case. Shockwave therapy is one of the most exciting therapies to become available to veterinary medicine in quite some time. It is extremely important to have an accurate diagnosis and a clearly defined area of injury in order to direct the shockwave to the appropriate area.

Absolutely not. There are several machines currently marketed as shockwave machines that do not generate a true shockwave. They generate what is called a ballistic or radial wave. The physics of this type of wave are completely different from that of a true shockwave. A ballistic or radial wave is created when a projectile is rapidly accelerated by compressed air – it looks like a small jackhammer. The problem with this type of wave is that all of the energy is deposited at the skin, and the energy drops off rapidly as you move away from the skin. The result being that unless the injury is at the skin, the injured area is not receiving the necessary energy to help the healing process. Additionally, since the wave is not focused with this type of machine, the entire area around the treatment site is receiving the wave, which can potentially have harmful effects.

It is also important to recognize that not all focused shockwave machines are equal. There are now some focused shockwave machines on the market that advertise a deeper penetration of the shockwave into the tissue. The problem with these machines is that the focal zone for the release of the shockwave energy is so concentrated, almost like a pinpoint, that there is potential for tissue damage with this type of machine. Additionally, with this type of machine, because the focal zone is so small, there is a much greater likelihood of missing the desired target tissue or injury, thereby rendering the treatment useless or worse.