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Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in Lower Limb Sports Injuries

  • Sports Medicine Rehabilitation (B Liem and BJ Krabak, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

To outline current evidence on the use of ESWT for the treatment of lower limb sports injuries.

Recent Findings

There is growing evidence to support the use of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions in the general population. However, research focused on the use of ESWT specifically for lower extremity injuries in the athletic population is more limited. Athletes represent a subgroup of patients that may benefit from ESWT. Compared with injections or surgical interventions, athletes undergoing ESWT often are able to continue sports participation with fewer limitations in activity during treatment.

Summary

The review identifies considerable variability in study design and treatment protocols that affect the overall quality of evidence. Sports participation was allowed in most studies. One case of plantar fascia tear was identified during ESWT treatment; this injury was self-limited. Most studies report pain-relieving and/or functional benefit with the use of ESWT for common lower extremity tendinopathies, plantar fasciitis, and medial tibial stress syndrome. This review highlights the need for further investigations on optimal methods of ESWT use in athletes given the high prevalence of lower extremity injuries and favorable safety profile for treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, 300 1st Avenue, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA

    Haylee E. Borgstrom & Adam S. Tenforde

  2. Department of Sports Medicine, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Amol Saxena

Authors
  1. Haylee E. Borgstrom
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Correspondence to Adam S. Tenforde.

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Amol Saxena reports personal fees and non-financial support from Storz/Curamedix outside the submitted work. Haylee Borgstrom and Adam Tenforde declare no conflicts of interest relevant to this manuscript.

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Borgstrom, H.E., Saxena, A. & Tenforde, A.S. Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in Lower Limb Sports Injuries. Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep 7, 204–215 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40141-019-00229-4

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