The application of shock waves therapy in the treatment of resistant chronic painful shoulder - A clinical experience

Background. To evaluate the efficacy of extracorporeal shock-waves therapy (ESWT) in patients with chronic painful shoulder. Methods. Experimental design: a prospective design was used with a short te rm follow-up. Setting: data were collected at the Service of Physioterapy i n Villa Stuart Clinic-Rome. Patients: 72 patients of both sexes with an ave rage age of 38 years (range 18 to 69) affected by chronic painful shoulder, whose symptoms tasted more than 6 months. Interventions: all patients rece ived on average, 2000 impulses of ESWT at level 5 energy (0.21 mJ/mm(2)) ac cording to Dornier Epos equipment one session per week for 8 weeks. Measure s: all cases underwent an instrumental examination with X-ray conventional imaging and clinical assessment of pain (visual analogue scale) and functio nal limitation of the shoulder, two weeks before the treatment and at one m onth follow-up. Results. 53% of patient scored excellent results, 14% good, 13% fair and 20 % poor. In the group of calcifying tendinitis we had a reduction in 37% and no changes in 63%. Conclusions. Even with a limited number of cases our early results show the efficacy and safety of ESWT in the treatment of chronic painful shoulder r esistant to other conservative approaches.