Our Treatments
ESWL - Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy
Kidney Stones
Kidney stones can develop in one or both kidneys and most often affect people aged 30 to 60 years of age. They are quite common, with around 3 in 20 men and up to 2 in 20 women developing them at some stage of their lives. The medical term for Kidney stones is Nephrolithiasis and if they cause severe pain this is known as Renal Colic.
Symptoms of Kidney Stones
Small kidney stones may go undetected and be passed painlessly in the urine but is is fairly common for a stone to block part of the urinary system, such as;
Ureter - the tube connecting the kidney to the bladder
Urethra - the tube urine passes through on its way out of the body
A blockage can cause sever pain in the abdomen or groin and sometimes causes a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).
Treatment
Lithotripsy is the breaking of kidney stones by pressure waves, these waves are focused onto the kidney stone with the use of ultrasound and X-rays. The pressure waves travel through the body tissues without damaging them and reduce the kidney stone to a fine gravel which may be passed naturally in urine over a period of time, usually with no pain.
Lithotripsy is usually delivered within 3 treatments dependent on the size and density of the stone, each lasting approximately 45 mins over a period of weeks or until the kidney stone is broken down so it can be passed naturally. You may experience some discomfort during treatment, similar to an elastic band being flicked against the skin but pain relief will be available in consultation with the nursing staff and your consultant.
ESWT - Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy
Therapy
ESWT - Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy can be used to treat a number of soft tissue conditions and can either be used in place of surgery or as a complimentary treatment with surgery to aid recovery. ESWT is a non-invasive treatment which is clinically proven to have a positive effect on chronic conditions such as Tennis Elbow, Plantar Fasciitis and other resistant tendinopathy. The therapy is delivered through shockwaves focused on the affected area, these shockwave pass through the tissue without causing damage and create an environment that increases blood flow to an affected area, this increase blood flow supports and accelerates the bodies natural healing properties.
Treatment
ESWT is normally delivered over 3 sessions, each last approximately 20 - 30 minutes, the treatment is relatively painless. Once the treatment begins the Radiographer will ask for your feedback to ensure that the shockwaves are reaching the affected area, once this has been established you must lie very still to ensure the treatment is as effective as possible. In the days after treatment there may be some redness to the site or bruising, this is perfectly normal however if you have any concerns contact your practitioner or GP.
Erectile Dysfunction Treatment- ED
Causes
Erectile dysfunction or impotence can be defined as the inability to get or sustain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. It is a common in 40% of men over 50 but not talked about problem. The ability to be able to get an erection is important to most men old and young, but because of taboos and embarrassment many men suffer without seeking help or advice from their Doctor or Nurse.
All men require hormones, blood supply, nerves and a desire if he is to achieve an erection. If one or more of these mechanisms fail then the erection will also fail. When aroused nerve impulses travel from the brain to the penis. This triggers the relaxation of the smooth muscle in the penis which then allows increased blood flow into the tissues. As the penis fills with blood it will enlarge and become erect. As the penis enlarges it compresses the veins inhibiting blood flow out of the penis, thus sustaining the erection. The penis will stay erect until ejaculation or when arousal stops.
Treatment
The shockwaves causes angiogenesis which stimulate early expression of certain growth factors. These growth factors are eNOS (Endothelial nitric oxide synthase), VEGF (Vessel Endothelial Growth Factor) and PCNA (Prolofierating Cell Nuclear Antigen). Angiogenesis takes maximum effect for first 8 weeks of shockwave treatment for Erectile Dysfunction using our Piezowave 2 unit.
Between week 4 and 12 there is neovascularisation markers along with cell proliferation which improves the blood supply within the Corpus Cavernosa of the penis, this process is dose and time dependent. Impact Medical uses the Piezowave 2 unit with our unique linear transducer with it's unique dimensions and design is the perfect solution for linear structures such as the corpus cavernosa. Click here for our FAQ's