Shock wave more effective than drugs at treating knee pain

Shock wave more effective than drugs at treating knee pain

A new study has just been published in the medical journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders describing a study of 40 patients. The patients were suffering from pain in the knee caused by fluid in the bone marrow known as “primary bone marrow edema syndrome (BMES)”. The fluid is a “non-specific” symptom of a number of potential causes including arthritis. Half the patients were treated with a pharmaceutical and half were treated with ESTW.

MRI scans at 1 year follow-up showed complete regression in all patients in shock wave patients.

As the study concludes, “ESWT can produce rapid pain relief and functional improvement. It may be an effective, reliable, and non-invasive technique for rapid treatment of BMES of the knee.”