TECHNOLOGY TREATMENTS AT FORM & FUNCTION
Along side all of the great hands on and rehabilitation types of treatments, we also like to add the latest technology based modalities to our Dynamic Treatment Plans. This is to stack the positive effects of all of the treatments to create a far superior outcome than some other run of the mill clinics. Some of the technologies we may suggest for your treatment plan includes:
Shockwave Therapy, Laser Therapy, Ultrasound, Phonophoresis, Russian Stimulation, Microcurrent, Interferential current
Technologies like shockwave therapy, laser therapy, and ultrasound offer various benefits such as pain relief, improved tissue healing, reduced inflammation, and enhanced mobility. They work by targeting specific areas of the body with specialized energy waves or frequencies, stimulating natural healing processes and promoting overall recovery. These advanced modalities can complement traditional physiotherapy approaches, providing patients with effective and efficient treatment options for a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions and injuries.
TECHNOLOGY THERAPIES AND DEVICES
What is Shockwave Therapy?
Radial shockwave are high-energy acoustic waves. They are transmitted through the surface of the skin and spread radially (spherically) into the body. The body responds with increased metabolic activity around the site of the pain. This stimulates and accelerates the healing process.
How does it work?
Treatment produces an inflammatory response. The body responds by increasing metabolic activity around the site of pain. This stimulates and accelerates the healing process. Shockwave breaks down scar tissue and possibly calcification as well.
How Many Treatments does it take?
Typically 3 treatments will solve the issue. Some harder to treat situations might require 5 treatments.
Is Shockwave Therapy Covered by my Insurance?
Yes. Treatments are covered under physiotherapy, chiropractic or Chiropody, depending on the therapist that is administering your therapy.
Shockwave therapy is highly successful for:
- Achiles Tentinopathy
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Tennis Elbow
- Golfers Elbow
- Shoulder Tendinopathy
- Calcific Tendinitis
- Trigger Points
What is Cold Laser Therapy?
Modern phototherapy lasers are commonly referred to as cold lasers, since they operate at a power level low enough that the light energy penetrates into the body but it does not cut or burn tissue. These lasers emit light energy at specific wavelengths between the visible red and infrared spectrums that research has shown, penetrates through the skin to depths of up to 4 inches to activate enzymes in the target cells that stimulates the healing process in human tissue.
How Does Laser Therapy Work?
Laser and Phototherapy penetrate to the damaged cells stimulating the enzymes, which in turn, stimulate growth in the damaged cells, improving cell regeneration and function. Another major benefit is clinically proven pain relief due to the release of endorphins and serotonin, the body’s natural pain relievers. Studies by NASA, a large contributor to the effectiveness of phototherapy, have proven that human tissue cells repair themselves and return to normal function up to 40% faster when treated with infrared and visible red light. NASA has recently developed phototherapy laser devices for use on all space shuttle missions. Most professional sports teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, now use these lasers to speed healing of damaged tissues in injured players. As of this year, even the PGA, LPGA and Seniors Tour provides phototherapy treatments to players at every tournament.
What Can be Treated with Laser Therapy?
Clinicians use this treatment on patients to reduce:
- Pain due to arthritis
- Ankle Sprains
- Fractures
- Muscles strains
- Joint Sprains
- Wounds
- Acne
- Carpal Tunnel
- Shingles
- Fibromyalgia
And other acute and chronic pain conditions
What is a Typical Treatment Like?
Phototherapy is easy and safe to use, it can be applied quickly and comfortably to patients. Most treatments only take 15 to 20 minutes with the laser as well as the infrared light therapy units being applied directly to the skin over the treatment area. Several treatments over a few week period are generally enough to rehabilitate the damaged tissue. The patient experiences no burning or unpleasant sensation during the treatment and experiences only a feeling of muscle relaxation and pain relief after.
Laser Therapy at Form & Function
Laser Therapy is another state of the art tool we use at Form & Function by the Chiropractors or Physiotherapists. Research has shown success of laser and infrared in reducing pain and inflammation, and increasing the healing of tissue.
Add Laser Therapy to part of your treatment plan or book a new assessment.
Ultrasound waves have been shown to cause increases in tissue relaxation, local blood flow, and scar tissue breakdown. The technique of therapeutic ultrasound has been around for over 70 years. The effect of the increase in local blood flow can be used to help reduce local swelling and chronic inflammation, and, according to some studies, promote bone fracture healing at a low prolonged dose. The intensity or power density of the ultrasound can be adjusted depending on the desired effect. A greater power density (measured in watt/cm2 is often used in cases where scar tissue breakdown is the goal.
At Form & Function, Ultrasound is also used along with topical antiinflammatories or pro-inflammatories that will have a enhanced effect when utilized at a high dose. This technique is called Phonophoresis. This method is great for acute issues or chronic inflammatory issues.
Form & Function practitioners are always trying to look for newer and effective ways to treat your symptoms. We also understand that not all treatments and modalities are the end all be all, so we combine other therapies such as Active Release Technique (link), Laser therapy (link), and acupuncture (link) in order to get better results. At Form & Function, we do not charge extra for a typical laser treatment if we are adding it to the treatment.
In this method, we are looking to contract the muscle for a particular injury to engage the muscle at this highest capacity with or without a exercise movement. This is a great way to get our postoperative patients moving again, or just to enhance the firing pattern in one of our high end athletes.
Research has shown that microcurrent utilized in a specific setting will elicit a pyroelectric effect that acts almost like a forcefield to tell your body to deposit muscle fibers in a specific arrangement in order to reduce scar tissue development and speed up the rate of healing.
This setting is most commonly used. The benefit is to increase circulation, reduce swelling, reduce pain at the symptomatic site. IFC treatments are not meant to be a sole treatment, it is always combined with another technique such as Active Release Technique, Spinal adjustment, and rehab to create more of an effect with the other treatments.