The benefits of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) when used to treat chronic and acute wounds—reduced healing times, increased biological responses, and pill-free pain management—have long been studied and praised, but ongoing research suggests that there could be an even more attractive advantage: less noticeable scars.
What is Scar Tissue
When patients suffer from acute injuries like burns trauma and surgical procedures, they can be dramatically impacted both physically and emotionally. Reduction or minimizing noticeable scars is and always will be a goal for every plastic surgeon. If the location of the scar can’t be hidden, then the reduction and prevention of the defect becomes more challenging. Any technology that can safely affect the outcome in a positive way should be considered.
Scar tissue is formed when normal, healthy tissue is destroyed by injuries, diseases, surgeries, or infections. After an injury the body’s primary goal is to close the wound to prevent infection. When the body tries to heal, it quickly makes a very tough material called collagen, which causes normal, healthy tissue to become fibrous and tough. consists of a lot of fiber. Scar tissue can be formed both on the surface of the skin, and within internal organs and is unique because it does not function as normal tissue would. Scar tissue typically does not have sweat glands, hair follicles, or blood vessels. This lack of blood vessels causes a lack of circulation throughout scar tissue which makes the tissue difficult to heal and more prone to repeat injury. Using shockwave therapy for scar tissue is a great way to prevent repeated injuries and promote a more effective healing process.
Shockwave’s ability to recruit and activate stem cells accelerates the timeline to produce original, healthy, normal tissue complete with sweat glands and hair follicles. This allows for a higher percentage of original tissue and less scar tissue.
Shockwave Therapy for Scar Tissue
SoftWave Tissue Regeneration Technologies delivers non-invasive, low intensity, acoustic shockwave that accelerates healing and has been demonstrated to reduce scars and associated complications. SoftWave promotes healing by initiating biological responses at the cellular level. Treatment can be performed in an out-patient facility, without anesthesia, and in conjunction with other traditional wound care procedures.
Dr. John David Mullins, MD, FACS and Chair of the Piedmont Atlanta Department of Surgery in Atlanta, GA, is using SoftWave ESWT treatment for wound care and seeing results in reducing scar visibility, decrease in pain, increase in range of motion and improvement in elasticity. Even the difficult recurrent keloids and hypertrophic scars have been improved by this therapy. There have been a multitude of topical therapies, injections and external applications that have been tried with varying degrees of success. The Softwave therapy is the first to offer a cellular response to regeneration via an external painless application with efficient broad energy.
While the technology of harnessing shockwaves isn’t new—it was first discovered in Germany and used to break up kidney stones—its application in wound healing and cell regeneration is recent. Originally studied solely for its healing power when applied to acute (surgical or accidental) and chronic (ulcers, bed sores, etc.) wounds, researchers found an unanticipated and often overlooked benefit—one that has the potential of improving the quality of life for the patient—the reduction of pain, appearance, and limited ROM associated with most scars and sites of soft tissue healing. While the initial trauma of the affected site can be healed by conservative means, ESWT has shown to not only produce the same results more quickly and efficiently, it also far surpasses other methods of subsequent scar healing resulting in less cost, little to no side effects, and more positive patient outcomes.
With the recent understanding and expanded usage of ESWT extracorporeal shockwave therapy in the intentional improvement of scar size, elasticity, and pigmentation, SoftWave’s ESWT offers a valuable tool to augment current treatments for cosmetic procedures, Cesarean sections, keloid treatment, skin grafts, and reconstructive surgeries. It’s a ten-minute, easy-to-use, office-based convenient solution that restores confidence and offers patients a way to live their best life.
Additionally, in a recent study published by Pubmed in July 2022, researchers examined the effects of extracorporeal shockwave therapy on hypertrophic scars using a set of Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scales (POSAS) to measure the the results. They found that most of the POSAS subscales and total scores were significantly improved 4 weeks after treatment (with statistical significance of P < 0.05). They also noted that the subscales for the pain, itching, and pigmentation were improved and that the patients treated in the study were satisfied with their results after treatment.
Offering Shockwave Therapy with SoftWave
Shockwave therapy with Softwave is a reliable and non-invasive option for treating scar tissue. With years of studying, research, and implementation shockwave therapy with SoftWave has proven itself as a viable asset in any patient’s journey to recovery.
Recently shockwave therapy has become increasingly popular among patients as it offers a surgery free alternative for healing, pain relief, and scar tissue reduction. Providers also greatly appreciate shockwave therapy with SoftWave because treatments are non-invasive, short in duration, and produce noticeable results fast. Become a provider of shockwave therapy with SoftWave to provide patients with all viable options so they can receive the care they deserve.