shockwave Therapy in Rome, ga

Shockwave Therapy in Rome | Douglas Family & Animal Chiro
Same-Day Appointments Available · Most Insurances Accepted · Rome, GA
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Chiropractor applying shockwave therapy to a patient's forearm at Douglas Family & Animal Chiropractic in Rome, GA

What Conditions Is Shockwave Therapy Best for?

The majority of Rome patients that enter our office know something isn't right. Maybe they've been walking funny for several weeks, or perhaps they've been avoiding gripping their favorite coffee mug because of elbow pain. But what they may not know is that shockwave therapy is the solution that can relieve their pain.

Of all the conditions we treat, these are the top few that see the best results with shockwave therapy:

  • Plantar fasciitis is a primary reason many Rome patients come into our office. It's a serious problem for some, but one you don't need to suffer with.
  • Tennis elbow and Golfer's elbow both tend to improve fairly quickly with the proper number of treatments.
  • Achilles tendonitis is a condition many of our running and recreational sports patients in Rome deal with on a regular basis.
  • Frozen shoulder and rotator cuff injuries are problems that our physical and massage therapists in Rome have treated with shockwave therapy with great success.
  • Heel spurs are a pain to deal with, and many of Rome patients who have this issue find relief with shockwave therapy.

In most cases, the patients we treat are already aware of their problem because of a recent injury or long-term discomfort. Many have tried rest and other therapies, yet haven't had the best results with their condition. Shockwave therapy has worked for many people who have exhausted other options, and it can work for you! The American Journal of Sports Medicine published a study confirming what we have seen at our clinic for many years, shockwave therapy is very effective for chronic tendinopathy not improved by other treatments [1].

Most patients with these injuries are not elite athletes, but regular people who are dealing with the consequences of repetitive activity on injured tissue. They could be nurses who work in Rome's hospitals, teachers who work at one of our many area schools, or construction workers who build the homes in this great community. It isn't about age or physical strength; it is about how often the injured area is being used.

We have many patients that come in unsure of if they should have shockwave therapy, which can seem a little surprising given the number of benefits it offers for those with pain in muscles, tendons, and bones. Often, the patients we have seen initially wanted chiropractic adjustments or another form of therapy but are then introduced to shockwave therapy during their first visit to us.

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How Does Shockwave Therapy Heal Tissue?

As we have seen, most Rome patients that come to our office are wondering how sound waves are going to help them get rid of their pain, and that query is a valid one. Here is the short version of the answer to that question: shockwave therapy delivers acoustic wave energy into the patient's injured muscle, tendons and connective tissue at a precise and high-intensity level, causing the body to start repairing and growing healthier tissue.

The shockwaves from a shockwave therapy treatment help the body to break up scar tissue and calcium build up, increase blood flow to the injury area, and reset the nervous system to lower pain signals.

The last one can really catch patients by surprise. In fact, these pressure waves hyper-activate the nerve endings in that area, causing your body to counteract those over-stimulation by suppressing the signal. The therapy isn't simply masking pain, but instead retraining the tissues' response on a tissue/cellular level. According to Life, recent advances in shockwave therapy for musculoskeletal conditions confirm that shockwave therapy promotes healing by increasing local blood flow and stimulating the production of collagen in damaged tendons [2]. This is something we see in our Rome office consistently every week. Someone will come in with a heel that's been sore for six months, they've tried the rest, ice, new footwear, nothing has worked. The tissue starts to respond after just the first session, and it can be exciting to feel that again.

The treatment proceeds as follows: we locate the exact area of injury via manual palpation and feedback from the patient. Next, the applicator emits pressure waves at that specific area. Those waves will travel approximately two to three inches into the tissue under the skin. Your body's natural healing mechanism is triggered, causing a localized inflammation. The increased blood flow over the next several days brings in the ingredients needed for healing. That localized inflammation component is important. Chronic injuries get stuck and don't heal because the body just gave up. With shockwave, the system is prompted to try again, but this time with additional resources to assist with healing.

Patients in and around West Rome often comment in the first hour or two post-treatment that they feel a greater sense of warmth and increased range of motion. That tissue could have healed all along; it needed to be prompted. The sound waves simply provide that prompt and stimulate an existing but dormant healing response. Not an immediate and temporary solution, but rather a biological healing process that will build over the treatment course.

Chronic pain doesn't have to be your normal. Shockwave therapy is available now in Rome, GA.

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What to Expect in a Shockwave Treatment Session

You arrive, we speak. This begins each of your treatment appointments. Prior to even starting the treatment, we take the time to determine where your pain exists and when it began. The physical exam includes palpation along with movement through a variety of ranges of motion in order to determine a precise location of the issue that is causing problems. Many patients who come to us have tried multiple other treatments first, whether it is rest and ice, stretching exercises, steroid injections, and so forth. Our patients have come to us to get things resolved, and that is what we can do for them.

Once we have determined the affected area, we administer gel to the skin in the area of injury. The gel facilitates the movement of the shockwave handpiece along the surface of the skin as well as transmits the shockwaves to the underlying tissue. You will be given shockwaves at an intensity determined by the condition you are treating, with lower intensities provided to patients on their first session. You will feel the handpiece tapping in a pattern against your skin. Some spots will be a bit tender and others might be barely noticeable. We spend five to 10 minutes treating the area, often at different angles to reach the various layers of tissue. That's all there is to it. No bandaging, no post-treatment rest or recovery time.

Does it hurt? It depends on the area. Most patients with plantar fasciitis notice a bit more sensation around the heel than those seeking shockwave therapy for a sore shoulder. But the pain is fleeting. Patients say it usually feels like a deep, dull discomfort that subsides quickly once we move the handpiece away.

Many patients comment on how quickly the procedure is over and that they can go back to normal activities right away. You'll be able to drive yourself home, return to work, or stroll downtown in Rome right after. We recommend avoiding strenuous exercise for 24-48 hours. Daily activities, however, are totally okay afterward. The area may feel a bit dull or achy for the rest of the day, like you did a heavy exercise session. This is common and it's a good sign since you're stimulating more blood flow to the site.

Considering whether you should come in before your pain gets worse? Find out more on how to connect with a chiropractor today.

Patient standing comfortably in a chiropractic treatment room with shockwave therapy equipment visible in the background, Rome, GA

Number of Sessions You Will Need and When You Can Expect to Feel Results

Most people who walk into our office want to hear one number. "How many treatments do I need for this to get better?"

Here's the truth: For most conditions treated with shockwave therapy in Rome, it's about three to six treatments. It's a common range we've found with good success. We usually schedule sessions about a week apart, or every five days if your body is responding to therapy. Some cases of plantar fasciitis may be resolved in three treatments; chronic Achilles tendonitis may take closer to six. We've treated folks from West Rome who thought shockwave therapy might require months of care and noticed improvement after only their second session.

Here's what's surprising though: You likely won't experience much immediate relief from your first appointment.

Shockwave therapy is designed to stimulate your body's own natural healing response, so it takes a little while for that effect to kick in. Most patients begin to feel results after one or two treatments. Pain gets better. Range of motion improves. You stop worrying about your body in your mind every time you stand up from a chair. Over time, the treatments have given your soft tissue enough stimulus to rebuild itself.

A few things that can affect your schedule:

  • The amount of time you've had the issue for before starting treatment
  • Whether you have one or multiple areas treated
  • Your activity level between visits
  • Your compliance with our simple instructions after treatment

Those with the best outcomes rarely go at it alone, so we always provide a full set of instructions about what not to do between visits and track your progress with every session so nothing goes missing. Here is one more helpful piece of information. The healing process doesn't cease at the end of your shockwave therapy session, the effects are actually cumulative after treatment has concluded for weeks following the treatment. This means you can be at your fourth session and 70% better, but you may continue to improve on your own.

Shockwave Therapy as an Alternative to Surgery

Nobody really wants to get an operation! That is just a hard fact. We constantly encounter patients in Rome who have been told there is no alternative other than surgery, whether they have stubborn plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow that has been nagging them over a year, or Achilles tendonitis that makes their mornings feel like walking on broken glass and they have done all of the stretches, taken the anti-inflammatory medication and possibly even had cortisone injections. It just did not stick and now an appointment with a surgeon feels unavoidable.

At this point, shockwave therapy could still make a major difference for you! The Journal of Clinical Orthopedics and Trauma shows shockwave therapy has a 60%-80% success rate for chronic soft tissue conditions [3]. That is an extremely high number for those who think the road has ended.

Consider this in your decision regarding surgery:

  • Recovery time in which you can not work can last for weeks to several months
  • Surgical risks and potential complications
  • Pain returns and does not remain away from surgery
  • Expensive for those on your own without insurance

Most people in the vicinity of West Rome head straight back to their day with zero downtime, cuts, and recovery times.

Shockwave therapy is easy, risk-free, and you leave 15 minutes after your treatment. Most people in the vicinity of West Rome head straight back to their day with no downtime, cuts, or recovery times. That does not mean surgery is not appropriate sometimes! That is the point and we do not want to give the impression you should just skip surgery, but why skip all other options when you have them? This is the dialogue that happens daily in our office and patients are almost always glad we got them the trial before surgery. Not sure if you qualify? Give us a call and we can find out.

Ready to find out if shockwave therapy is right for you? Call our Rome office today.

☎ (706) 290-3229

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17307892/

[2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12734210/

[3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7275282/

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about shockwave therapy from Rome, GA patients.

Shockwave therapy works best for plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, Achilles tendonitis, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff injuries, and heel spurs. These are the conditions we see improve most often right here in our Rome office. Many patients have already tried rest, ice, and other treatments without success. Shockwave gives the body a fresh signal to heal tissue it had essentially given up on. If you've been dealing with chronic pain, this may be the option that finally works for you.
Most patients in Rome start noticing improvement within the first one to two sessions. The exact number of treatments depends on how long you've had the injury and how your tissue responds. Chronic conditions that have been around for months may take more sessions than a newer injury. We check in with you at every visit to track your progress and adjust as needed. The goal is real, lasting relief — not just a temporary fix.
Most patients feel some pressure and mild discomfort during the session, but it is not unbearable. We apply gel to your skin first, which helps the applicator move smoothly. You may feel warmth or a slight ache in the treated area for a day or two after. Many Rome patients — including nurses, teachers, and construction workers — manage it easily and return to their regular routines the same day. We always adjust the intensity based on your comfort level.
Wear comfortable, loose clothing that allows easy access to the area being treated. You do not need to fast or stop any medications before your appointment. When you arrive, we will talk through your pain history and do a physical exam before we start anything. Bring a list of any treatments you have already tried — that helps us understand what your tissue has been through. Parking is easy at our Rome location, so arriving a few minutes early is all you need.
Yes, shockwave therapy is very safe for active people, and it is actually one of the best options for them. Many of our Rome patients are runners, hikers, and weekend athletes dealing with Achilles tendonitis or plantar fasciitis from repetitive activity. The treatment works with your body's own healing process — no surgery, no injections. You can usually stay active during your treatment course, though we may suggest minor adjustments to your routine while your tissue heals.
Right after your session, you may feel warmth and notice a slightly better range of motion in the treated area. Some mild soreness can show up over the next day or two — that is a normal sign your body is responding. We will give you simple aftercare guidance before you leave. Healing continues to build over the days following each visit as blood flow increases to the injured tissue. Most Rome patients see steady improvement with each session in their treatment plan.

Ready to Feel Better in Rome, GA?

Shockwave therapy is one of the most effective non-surgical options available for chronic soft tissue pain. If you've exhausted other treatments, this may be the step that finally moves the needle. Same-day appointments are available at our Rome office.

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