Shockwave Therapy Technology

StemWave acoustic shockwave therapy helps to pinpoint and treat areas of inflammation and injury by stimulating circulation, bringing in oxygen and other healing cells which accelerates the process of repair and recovery .

Struggling with pain in the shoulder, hip, low back or knee that just isn't going away no matter what you try? Are you dealing with neuropathy in the arms, hands, legs or feet? Shockwave therapy is a cutting-edge, non-invasive technology that utilizes acoustic waves to activate the body's natural healing mechanisms. Using patient-driven feedback we are able to identify and treat areas of inflammation, injury, nerve damage and tissue damage in the knee, shoulder, elbow, foot, arms, legs, and lower back. Using this information Dr. Hamel treats the patient's condition without using any type of medicine or surgeries.

Why Shockwave Therapy?

How long has it been since you've been able to get out of bed in the morning without stepping down in excruciating pain? You might have built up inflammation in your plantar fascia. Are you having a hard time playing with your kids, grand kids or going up and down stairs? Severe inflammation in your knee joint or osteoarthritis might be a contributing factor. Unable to swing the golf club or go to the gym anymore because of chronic shoulder pain; chronic inflammation and tendinitis in your shoulder is probably keeping your off the golf course and away from the gym. Are you having constant pain in your knee, shoulder, neck, back or hips?  The question to ask yourself is WHY the pain is not going away?

What Shockwave Therapy is all About and Why Patient's Rave about their Treatment Results

  1. 15 minute treatments are very convenient and productive, each treatment builds on the last one.
  2. The treatments are 100% non-invasive and drug free; no surgery, no medicine, so no side effects.
  3. The acoustic soundwaves stimulate natural healing in the body.
  4. No recovery time, often times patients can see a difference after their first treatment experiencing increased range of motion and less pain.


 

Why We Don't Heal and Recover From Injuries or Conditions?

The main reason why people don't heal from conditions such as frozen shoulder, knee osteoarthritis, tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, Achilles tendinitis or plantar fasciitis is because of chronic inflammation and or lack or circulation. As long as there is inflammation present in the joints and muscles of the knee, hip, shoulder, foot or low back, the body cannot effectively heal and repair. Shockwave Therapy stimulates circulation, improves range of motion, recruits existing and helps alleviate inflammation in the area of concern boosting the body's ability to naturally heal and repair. One of the reasons patients love shockwave therapy is that it is non-invasive, we use a wand and ultrasound gel over the injured joint, tendons and muscles and the healing begins. Also there is no downtime with this treatment, a patient comes in for a shockwave therapy session, then leaves and continues on with their daily activities.  We just ask patients to not over do it after a treatment; as we are trying to heal and area and your body needs rest and time to do that. 

What Is Shockwave Therapy? The Science Behind It.

Stemwave is an advanced shockwave therapy device using electrohydraulic spark gap technology. Its patented design features a parabolic reflector applicator that produces highly effective, low-intensity unfocused shock waves. The Stemwave technology identifies the areas of inflammation, based on patient feedback and treats those areas with low intensity, pulsed, shockwaves. This is a very patient centered therapeutic device, the patient will be able to feel the discomfort when the wand is over the inflamed area; and then after the treatment be able to feel a difference in pain and range of motion of the area worked on, knee, shoulder, plantar fascia or hip. It is a shockwave; the patient is supposed to feel some discomfort; this way Dr. Hamel knows the areas to map out and treat in a particular area. The applicator spreads energy to a large area of both superficial and deep tissue creating a biological response to initiate the body's natural healing process. The StemWave shockwave therapy does not electrocute the patient; it is not dangerous to the patient in any way. The shockwave treatment is safe to use unless there are contraindications that patient is presenting with. The StemWave™ machine is the most advanced, highly effective, non-invasive treatment cleared by the FDA to treat degenerative conditions and chronic pain. We all know what chronic pain feels like; this means that pain has been hanging around for over 4-6 weeks; some patients have been dealing with knee pain, shoulder pain, or back pain for 10+ years. Some examples of degenerative conditions are disc herniation, osteoarthritis, bursitis, tendinitis, cartilage issues, meniscus damage, carpal tunnel syndrome, heel spurs, frozen shoulder and more.

**During your first visit Dr. Hamel will evaluate your area of concern with the device to help identify areas of inflammation that are contributing to your condition or injury. The patient will feel some discomfort during this evaluation and analysis because the shockwaves are going right over the top of the injured area; this is NORMAL and Dr. Hamel is looking for this as part of his evaluation. Based on the results of this first treatment, Dr. Hamel will let you know if you are a good candidate for shockwave therapy; often times the patient will see a change in pain and range of motion after the first visit, anywhere from 5-20% If the patient does not see positive change after the first evaluation and treatment, or if Dr. Hamel believes he cannot help a certain condition he will do his best to refer the patient to another doctor.

**Shockwaves are created by means of a high-energy electrical discharge in water. The voltage is discharged between the opposing tips of an electrode. The arcing or spark gap causes an equalization of voltage between the two tips of the electrode whereby a hot plasma bubble is created. Shockwave low-intensity, unfocused energy is delivered via a patented parabolic reflector applicator in the form of parallel waves.

Frequently Asked Questions


Hamel Chiropractic and Wellness