A new form of medical treatment may shock some, but it’s certainly creating quite a buzz.
Shock wave treatment is gaining popularity as a way to treat common injuries such as wrist fractures and heel spurs, and one orthopedic surgeon in Toronto has put aside his surgeon tools in favour of the new technology.
Dr. Robert Gordon, who has been attracting patients from all over since he began using this new form of therapy, says the machine works by literally "shocking the system" into healing the problem.
"A shock wave comes out of the machine and is addressed to a certain point, be it the heel, the elbow," explains Gordon. "These little shock waves go to that area and cause microtrauma, and healing tissues come and heal the area."
One of Gordon’s patients, professional basketball player Wayne Tinkle, came up from Montana to try the new treatment. (Shock wave therapy is not yet approved in the U.S.)
Tinkle had been stuck on the bench since discovering a heel spur last fall. When the darn thing wouldn’t heal, he called up Gordon.
"I couldn’t even walk when I was playing," says Tinkle, who’s hopeful the therapy will lead to a full recovery. Of the shocks themselves, Tinkle says they don’t hurt.
"Not too bad at all. It’s sort of an electric pulse being spread out through, but there wasn’t any pain at all."
Shock wave therapy was developed in Germany several years ago as a treatment for kidney stones.
But commercial Web site OrthoWave, which produces shock wave machinery, insists the new technology has endless possibilities. It suggests the shock wave therapy could benefit those with pseudoarthrosis, tendonitis, calcified shoulder joints, plantar fasciitis, and hip and knee prosthetic fixations.
Some doctors believe the therapy can actually cause bone to grow, curing fractures that wouldn’t heal normally.
The treatment certainly worked for engineering student Peter Lukacko, who fractured his wrist in a football game.
Lukacko’s wrist was put in a cast twice, for three weeks both times. There was no improvement either time the bone just didn’t want to heal. But after six weeks of shock therapy, his wrist had healed 95%, and he has since made a full recovery.
"I was skeptical about it, but I did some research beforehand and I heard that (shock wave therapy) had done some pretty amazing things," he said. "I didn’t want to try surgery on it, so I thought I’d explore this option, and fortunately for me it worked."
Not everyone’s convinced of the treatment’s benefits. Dr. Joel Finkelstein of Sunnybrook Health Centre says: "Unless there is some trial where there’s been clear documentation of bone growth, I don’t think we can say it actually occurs until it’s been proven."
Despite federal approval, provincial health plans don’t cover the cost — close to $1000 for Canadians and U.S. $1500 for Americans like Wayne Tinkle.
Meanwhile, U.S. studies are investigating whether shock wave treatment is a viable alternative to a day in surgery.