Effect of Shock Wave Therapy on the Pain Threshold of Athletes with Chronic Pain

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on the pain threshold of athletes with chronic pain during their sport season. [Participants and Methods] Seven collegiate American football players with pain lasting for over four weeks participated in this study. The affected sites were four Achilles tendons, four patella tendons, and one tendon of the biceps long head. Radial ESWT was used twice within 72 hours. The 100-mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain, surface pain threshold, and pressure pain threshold (PPT) were measured on day 1 (pre- and post ESWT), day 4 (pre- and post ESWT), day 7 and day 14. [Results] The 100-mm VAS pain was significantly lower on days 7 and 14 than on day 1. PPT was significantly higher on day 7 than on day 1. There were no significant differences in the other parameters. [Conclusion] The results of this study show the efficacy of ESWT for athletes with chronic pain during the season.