The UK’s Leading Orthopaedic Shockwave Clinic
Tel: 020 8549 6666
Scar Tissue Shockwave Treatment
If you have an injury or surgery, you will likely have post-surgical scar tissue. Scar tissue is formed as part of the normal healing process and inevitably forms whenever our body’s tissue is damaged. Scars are easy to see, but the scar also forms internally when you have surgery or injure muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
Unfortunately, scar tissue is not as functional as the tissue that it replaces. Normal tissue in the body has a consistent form and our healthy skeletal muscle tissue is formed of collagen that sits in a striated fashion (lined up parallel to one another). It allows for normal contraction and flexibility.
You feel like you’ve healed up and the external scar looks clean but, but beneath the surface scar there may be scar tissue formation under the skin. After surgery, the joint can get stiff leading to problems like frozen shoulder, bowel obstruction, palpable bumps under the skin and you may begin to experience pain in the area.
Decreasing Surgical Scars with Shockwave Treatment
Historically, doctors have cut out scar tissue with laparoscopic surgery, however, with this there is a risk of creating additional scar tissue.
The state of art Swiss made equipment we use to treat scar tissue has been developed after many years research into providing improved shockwave treatment and can penetrate below the skin surface and break up scar tissue on a cellular level. The scar tissue is brittle and breaks up and new blood vessels are formed, and the tissue re-heals with a stronger, more flexible, and organised tissue. This allows normal mobility to be restored.
What Happens During Shockwave Therapy for Scar Tissue?
We will isolate the area that needs to be treated, then using our focussed shockwave equipment we will start sending gentle impulses to the area. Discomfort will be kept to a minimum and gradually the impulses will become more intense, although little pain will be felt and if it is it will gradually dissipate over a few days.
How Long Will the Scar Tissue Shockwave Treatment Take to Work?
Generally, shockwave treating scar tissue will help after three to four sessions, depending on the scar and its position.
We now use castor oil, rather than gel or petroleum jelly as the medium between the shockwave equipment and the patient for many of our shockwave procedures. We have found that the little pain that our patients feel is reduced when we use castor oil, and we believe that the shockwaves reach the areas needing treatment more effectively. You can find out more about this, if you wish, by reading our news item Castor Oil versus Gel in Shockwave Therapy.
To book scar tissue treatment please request a specialist clinician to call you back to arrange an initial assessment Tel: 020 8549 6666 or complete the Contact Form below.
Our reception lines are open from 8:30am to 8:00pm weekdays and between 10:00am and 4:00pm at weekends (excluding Christmas, New Year and Bank Holidays).