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Therapy Right On The Spot

More and more of us are pursuing active lifestyles in the interest of better overall health, wellness and happiness. However, active lifestyles can lead to a variety of both major and minor injuries. These injuries initially cause acute pain. Major injuries may require invasive treatment - even surgery. Either way, over time, these injuries can lead to chronic pain. Pain can be due to local inflammation in area of the injury itself. However, significant pain can also be experienced in distant trigger points in a corresponding muscle group.

Trigger points are thickened, pain-sensitive points within a tense local muscle. They can cause a variety of pains – even well away from their own location. They are not only painful; there is also a tendency for strains, tears or other injuries to occur at these points. Myofascial Acoustic Compression Therapy initially diminishes pain through what is known as hyperstimulation anesthesia. This is where the nerves sending signals of pain to the brain are stimulated so much that their activity diminishes, thereby decreasing or eliminating pain. This effect is usually temporary.

Myofascial Acoustic Compression Therapy is also believed to diminish pain over longer periods of time through the stimulation of what is known as the "gate-control" mechanism, where nerves can be stimulated to "close the gate" to pain impulses sent to the brain. It is sometimes thought of as activating a sort of "reset" button that recalibrates pain perception.

Myofascial Acoustic Compression Therapy can be used to relieve general inflammation. The precise, focused acoustic wave therapy delivered by the PiezoWave2 from Richard Wolf is specially designed for myofascial pain relief.   The intensity and pulse frequency of the acoustic wave can be adapted precisely to the various indications. To allow treatment, the trigger points can be located with the focus point. By controlling the depth of penetration, trigger points can be safely treated in regions as superficial and sensitive as the face (TMJ) or in the deep muscles of the shoulders and thighs. This feature of the treatment allows for broad application to a variety of painful conditions throughout the body.

What to Expect During Your MyACT Treatment

  1. Our clinician will identify the treatment site or sites. They may mark these sites.
  2. They will then apply a thin coat of transmission gel. This gel helps create an effective treatment surface that allows the optimum benefit to be achieved using the lowest possible setting.
  3. The clinician will start the treatment at a very low setting and increase the power levels to find the best setting for your condition. The power and rate may vary from location to location based on the depth and type of tissue being treated.
  4. You may feel a slight tingling or stinging sensation as the clinician determines the appropriate level for your treatment. In most cases, the sensation decreases and may feel pleasant. If this feeling becomes very uncomfortable, mention this to the clinician and they will adjust the energy level.
  5. After the treatment is completed, the transmission gel will be removed and you can return to your normal activities. You may experience some minor aches or discomfort after treatment. It is not unusual for patients to notice flushed or reddened skin around the treatment site.

Advantages:

  • Alleviation of musculoskeletal pain
  • Improved mobility and range of motion
  • Reduces inflammation
  • Particularly gentle treatment 
  • Effective without medication 
  • Outpatient treatment 
  • Short therapy time of approx. 10-20 min.

Conditions Treatable with MyACT

Chronic pain is one of the most common syndromes affecting many hundreds of thousands of patients.  The majority of these painful conditions are triggered by ailments such as tennis elbow, calcaneal heel spurs, calcifications of the shoulder joint and ischemic muscle bands (triggerpoints).  A chronic course with the pain continuing over many years, both at rest and during activities, is not uncommon. The use of Acoustic waves to successfully treat these conditions is supported be a wealth of clinical experience and scientific evidence.  In additions, acoustic wave technology is a valuable diagnostic tool for the precise localiztion of myofascial trigger points.

Acoustic Compression Therapy has been used to successfully relieve pain from the following conditions:

  1. Foot and heel pain (plantar fasciitis, achilles tendinitis)
  2. Hip, knee and other leg discomforts
  3. Pain related to repetitive stress activities
  4. Adhesions and other soft tissue strains
  5. Trigger point therapy
  6. Chronic pain in transitional regions between tendons and muscles