More Shockwave discussions - uses & comparisons

[lehughes]

Hi Laurie

I was searching your site for info on Shock Wave. I am looking to expand my offerings.... I seem to see a lot of LS and caudal cervical. Not to mention shoulder cases. Which unit do you use and do you feel it is worthwhile to add on? I have to justify costs to a corporate owner. Also debated the Magna Wave but have been enjoying my Assisi Bed enough


Thank you!

C

[lehughes]

Okay, so hands down ‘Shockwave over a Magna Wave’. Period. Mic drop.
Magna Wave is sold as a MLM PEMF - don’t go down that path.
You’ve got more science behind shockwave over PEMF anyways.

Okay, so shockwave. I use it with almost all of my extremity OA joints, all of the tendinopathies, could use it on trigger points, and all of my L-S disc disease. Oh, and all of the MSI / shoulder cases.
I have a Chattanooga. It’s created by Storz and sold by DJO Global. However, the unit I use isn’t sold in the US - due to some other company having a copyright on a similar product.
I was purchasing and reselling them to the US, but the company has upgraded to a different model, and I has been a bit of a guessing game to get it all sorted, so I’m not doing it anymore.
However, I would suggest looking at HUMAN Radial Shockwave units. The vet ones are waaay over priced.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,

Laurie

[lehughes]

The piezo is VERY expensive

I see a huge range in unit prices. DJO has Chattanooga units. Any units you have heard good things about? Trying to figure this out. It’s kinda overwhelming!!

Swiss Dolorclast is what our podiatrist has.

Thank you!!
C

[lehughes]

So, what is interesting is that the Swiss company / companies are the ones making all of the units! So the DJO brand (which they cannot sell in the US d/t patent laws) is made by Storz Medical in Switzerland.
It’s is made / manufactured FOR DJO Global and I love mine!
I’d look at any human RADIAL shockwave alternative - you’re looking at about an $8000 - $12000 investment… but it’s still way cheaper than the Piezo!!
I know of another Canadian rehab person that has gone with / purchased from a different company up here: https://shockwavecanada.com/ Thus far she loves hers too!
There’s a rehab vet up this way as well that bought the Dolorclast for his practice and loves it also.
So, I think it’s hard to go wrong, so long as you are looking at a RADIAL unit and seeing that the parts are made in Switzerland!

Best of luck with the puppy!

Cheers,

Laurie

[lehughes]

Hi! I did find a Chattanooga unit that looks promising. Playing with Piezo but soooo expensive.

Do you use shockwave on your cervical cases? Also how do you use on iliopsoas? The rep said not to use over the abdomen. Not sure how to reach the insertion without risk. Also challenging not to go over the dorsal spinous processes.

C

[lehughes]

That sounds promising!

I have used it ONCE for a cervical case. I only felt brave enough to try it last week to be honest! I aimed it to the dorsal side of the vertebra (under the big mass of muscle, but ontop of the vertebra), so coming at it from the lateral side, but not directly sideways… if that makes sense.

I use it for iliopsoas all the time. If you palpate correctly, you are not over the abdomen. Find the flap of skin on the most ventral side of the flank area. Use that as your guide, go inside of the flap and then directly up from there. By the time you get to the insertion near the hip joint… you’re not anywhere near abdominal contents. We’ve not had any issues.

I use it for L-S junction all the time. No need to go over the dorsal spines, if you are palpating for the area between them (I keep one finger on a spinous process at all times, so I know my landmarks when I’m there). Otherwise, I go just lateral to the spinous processes.

I hope this helps!

Cheers,

Laurie

[lehughes]

Gotcha! What did you think of it? It seems like it could be helpful. What is your concern about using it?

C

[lehughes]

I was worried that it might be painful in the area… and/or might flare it up.
The dog seemed fine with it. The dog and owner are currently down in California… and I’ve not heard of any issues (and she’d send me a FB message, a text, and an e-mail if there was the slightest of issue). So, no news is good news!
I think I’d try it again!

L

[lehughes]

Ok. Piezo says Doctor Strubel uses it on necks often. I’m thinking I would stay superficial and light touch.

C

[lehughes]

In regards to ‘neck use’. I’d not so much worry about superficial / light, as much as being specific about where you are directing the pressure waves. I’d rather push in a bit more and know that I’m topographically where I want to be. Otherwise, you are just having an effect on the adjacent tissues, which MAY be facilitated (tight and reactive due to a nerve root inflammation), but then you’re 1) not addressing the root of the problem and 2) creating more muscle reactivity (in regards to the latter - when I used to work on people, I found (and so have other physios I’vet talked to) that people with disc problems & pinched nerves found that a massage flared them up & made them worse. The muscles are tight because of the nerve inflammation, the nerve inflammation inaccurately over signals to the muscles it / they supply, so when you put a stimulus into the muscle, the nerves are still inflammed and still misfiring / misreading signals and instead of calming things down, it signals for more muscle contraction. This is actually why I’ve been scared to try it on necks or backs (other than lumbosacral… which I tried simply because someone else had been brave enough to do it first!)

Cheers,

Laurie