DolorClast® Radial Shock Waves
Interested in learning more about radial shock wave therapy?
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What are the benefits of shock wave therapy?
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) is the application of Shock Waves in medicine.
It is clinically proven that pressure waves, when applied to injured tissues, stimulate metabolic reactions:
- Reduction of pain felt by nerve fibers
- Increase of blood circulation in surrounding soft tissues
- Beginning of healing process triggered by stem cells activation
The sound of healing with radial shock waves
How can shock wave therapy help in physical therapy?
- Compressed air accelerates a projectile which strikes a fixed applicator.
- The kinetic energy is converted into a shock wave delivered to the target tissue through the skin.
- These shock waves are conveyed radially for broad treatment areas.
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A shock wave begins by a compression phase. The peak pressure creates shear stress in the tissues.
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A tensile phase follows and generates cavitation bubbles. A high cavitation level is a result of a high amount of energy density delivered by the shock wave device.
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This energy stimulates metabolic reactions to the applied tissues
¿Cómo ser eficaz con la terapia de ondas de choque?
Es fácil: cuanta más energía se suministre al tejido, mejor será el resultado terapéutico. Para ello, sabemos lo siguiente:
"Un efecto tisular importante es la cavitación consecuente a la fase negativa de la propagación de la onda" (Ogden et al., 2001)
"Ambos parámetros (fase de compresión y cavitación) pueden tener consecuencias importantes para el bioefecto terapéutico" (Pérez et al., 2014)
"La contribución de la cavitación al efecto terapéutico de las ondas de choque radiales se demostró recientemente en un modelo animal avanzado " (Angstman et al., 2015)
Radial shock waves visualization
The compression phase (P+) penetrates the skin
and weakens the tissue.
A tensile phase (P-) follows generating
cavitation bubbles.
These bubbles collapse causing secondary shock waves.
How do radial shock waves work?
Red chili peppers contain capsaicin. At first this substance overwhelms the so-called C nerve fibers responsible for transmitting pain but then disables them for an extended period of time.
Everybody knows the feeling – first, the mouth is on fire, then it feels completely numb. Research has indicated that shock wave therapy works the same way1.
1 Maier et al., Clin Orthop Relat Res 2003; (406):237–245.
Introducing: DolorClast® Radial Shock Waves
In 1997, EMS patented the first radial shock wave device, the Swiss DolorClast®, based on the ballistic principle.
Compressed air sent to the handpiece accelerates a projectile, which strikes a fixed applicator at high speed (up to 90 km/h). The kinetic energy resulting from this movement is converted into a shock wave transmitted in a radial manner to the targeted tissues.
Shock waves delivery is short in time, usually lasting just a few minutes, thus enabling to be coupled with other therapies within the same session as recommended by the GDT. DolorClast® Shock wave protocol usually includes a total of three to five sessions, planned at a rate of one to two sessions per week with an interval of minimum 72h between them.
Given that DolorClast® Radial Shock Waves delivers the highest energy density, no wonder that it generates the highest amount of cavitation in the treated tissues.
Which shock wave devices gives the most cavitation?
The pictures below represent the maximum level of cavitation (black dots) generated with different radial shock waves handpieces at maximum pressure settings at 15Hz.1
1 NikolausB. M. Császár et al., “Radial Shock Wave Devices Generate Cavitation”, 2015.
Why is consistent energy delivery so important?
Shock Wave therapy is dose dependent. However, as you increase the frequency of shock waves generated, not all devices and handpieces can sustain the same energy delivery at higher frequencies.
Bench studies1 demonstrate that the DolorClast® Radial Shock Waves delivers up to 200% more energy density than competing devices at frequencies of 15 Hz and above and maximum pressure.
1 Internal bench study comparison of energy density between the DolorClast Radial Shock Waves (EMS) and the best device among competition.
Comparison of energy delivered at increasing frequencies:
Clinical researches1 show that therapeutic effects of RSWT® are linked to the level of cavitation produced in the treated tissues.
And, a high cavitation level is a result of a high amount of energy density delivered by the devices’ handpieces.
The higher the total of the energy density is, the better the treatment outcomes will be.
1 Perez et al., 2014 / Angstman et al., 2015 / Ogden et al., 2001 / Maier et al., 2003 / Hausdorf et al., 2008.
DolorClast® Radial Shock Waves – The Swiss original in worldwide pain treatment
- 34 / 62 randomized controlled trials: used in more studies listed in the PEDro database than any other ESWT device
- Over 13'000 units in use worldwide
- More than 100 Million patients treated worldwide
Guided DolorClast® Therapy sugiere un enfoque terapéutico combinado:
Aplicar DolorClast® Radial Shock Waves:
- 5 minutos después de finalizar el tratamiento con DolorClast® High Power Laser para obtener excelentes resultados clínicos combinados, o
- 1 hora después de finalizar el tratamiento con DolorClast® High Power Laser para obtener excelentes resultados clínicos óptimos
A recent study by Prof. Dr. med. Christoph Schmitz from LMU, University of Münich, Germany, showed that thanks to this combination, it is possible to deliver up to 50% more energy just 5 minutes after the laser pre-treatment and up to 100% when waiting one hour in between!
