INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS

What are low intensity shock waves?
Low intensity shock waves are a form of oscillating energy that produces regenerating, repairing and revascularizing responses in the biological tissues.

How are they produced?
They are produced by high technology equipment that may act through different mechanisms (mechanic, electrohydraulic, piezoelectric or electromagnetic). The equipments used should be approved by the regulatory authority.

Are there different types of shock waves?
Yes. There are high intensity waves, able to destroy kidney stones, and low intensity waves, able to stimulate the cells from different tissues and produce biological responses. Depending on the wave shape, they may be focal, planar or radial, although the latter are not considered true shock waves, but pressure waves, and they do not produce the same type of response at the biological tissue level. At Shockwave Argentina we rely on a mechanic and electromagnetic dual equipment, Storz Medical, model Duolith SD1 Ultra, with focal, planar and radial applicators.

What kind of pathology can they treat?
At Shockwave Argentina we apply low intensity shock waves for the treatment of multiple chronic conditions requiring regeneration, repair and revascularization of biological tissues. (See Treatments).

Do they have adverse effects?
No.

Do they have contraindications?
Yes. They are not indicated mainly in pregnant women, children, in patients having cardiac arrhythmias, using a pacemaker, with coagulation disorders or receiving anticoagulants, with system tumors and having neuritis or protheses in the area to be treated. Besides, they cannot be applied to lungs, intestines, brain or spinal cord. At Shockwave Argentina, you can be examined clinically by our professionals to determine your fitness to start the required treatment.

Are they painful?
They are practically painless.

Who can apply them?
Focal or planar shock waves can only be applied by physicians who are certified in the specialty. Radial shock waves may be applied by practitioners or assistant professionals under the supervision of a physician certified in the specialty.

Are the results immediate?
No. They vary according to the pathology to treat and the biological repair times.

Are these treatments effective?
Even though in medicine there are no fail-safe methods, the therapeutic results of the conditions treated with shock waves show high efficacy rates.


INFORMATION FOR PROFESSIONALS

The mechanisms of action of low-intensity shock waves are base on “mechanotransduction”.
It is called mechanotransduction to the process by which a shock wave generates a biological response.
The biological responses, due to the cell nuclei stimulation, consist in releasing to the extracelular enviroment growth factors and other substances, which can revascularize, regenerate and repair tissues (VEGF, TGF-β1, PCNA, eNOS, BMP, IGF, nitric oxide, endorphins, prostaglandins, etc.)

Also, differentation and migration of stem cells and mechanisms of transdifferentiation (transition from a differentiated tissue to a less diffrentiated one) occur.
In addition to revascularization, the mechanism of transdiffrentiation of fibroblast into myofibroblast allows the successful treatment of pathologies such as uterine fibroids, edematous-fibroesclerotic paniculopathy (“cellulitis”), Peyronie´s disease, (“penile curvature”), etc.

Furthermore, shock waves promote the stress of the extracelular enviroment, introducing epigenetic changes in the nuclei of the stem cells, activating the Wnt/β- catenin signaling pathway and favoring the allosteric competition of Hsp90 vs. DHT in the androgenic receptors, stimulating the genetic transcription and the adequate folding of the proteins responsible for generating new hair units.