In high-level sports, maintaining player availability is critical. The financial impact of injuries like patella tendinopathy and Achilles tendon pain can be significant from prolonged player downtime.
A study highlighted by the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that common injuries in elite soccer, such as MCL and ACL tears, not only sideline players for long periods but also lead to substantial financial losses.
Recent advancements in medical technology, particularly Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) and Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy (EMTT), have shown promising results in treating tendon and bone issues. Combining these therapies can further enhance recovery times and improve clinical outcomes. Clinical trials have demonstrated that using ESWT in combination with EMTT can significantly reduce recovery times for athletes suffering from rotatory cuff tendinopathies. An example trial showed that this combination therapy resulted in a greater reduction in pain compared to using ESWT alone.While the potential of these therapies is well recognized, ongoing research aims to optimize the dosage and timing to maximize recovery speeds post-injury, such as in ACL repairs.
Integrating ESWT and EMTT into sports medicine provides a compelling approach to not only speeding up recovery but also reducing the financial impact of athlete injuries. As these therapies evolve, they hold the promise of keeping athletes at their peak performance, minimizing downtime and financial loss.
References:
- Saxena A, Maffulli N, Jin A, Isa E, Arthur W. P, & Asthana S. (2021). Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture Repair in Athletically Active Patients: Results on 188 Tendons. The Journal of foot and ankle surgery : official publication of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, 60(5), 935–940. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jfas.2021.01.009
- Klüter T, Krath A, Stukenberg M, Gollwitzer H, Harrasser N, Knobloch K, Maffulli N, Hausdorf J, & Gerdesmeyer L. (2018). Electromagnetic transduction therapy and shockwave therapy in 86 patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy: A prospective randomized controlled trial. Electromagnetic biology and medicine, 37(4), 175–183. https://doi.org/10.1080/15368378.2018.1499030
- Weninger P, Thallinger C, Chytilek M, Hanel Y, Steffel C, Karimi R, & Feichtinger X. (2023). Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy Improves Outcome after Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with Hamstring Tendons. Journal of clinical medicine, 12(10), 3350. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12103350