684 Current evidence of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in chronic musculoskeletal conditions

Abstract

Abstract: Objective. To assess the current evidence of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) for patients with musculoskeletal conditions. This form of treatment involves ballistic shock waves, generated by a piezoelectric, electromagnetic or electrohydraulic source. Methods. This was a systematic review designed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews. We identified relevant studies by searching multiple electronic databases, relevant publications in English from 2010 to 2022. Two levels of screening were applied. During the first screening, titles and abstracts were reviewed and irrelevant studies were excluded. For the second screening, full-text articles were reviewed using predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: The search of electronic databases resulted in 384 articles. After having removed the duplicates, the full texts and abstracts were assessed for eligibility criteria, and a total of 21 studies were included in this review. The results showed that ESWT has a beneficial effect in musculoskeletal conditions by reducing pain, and it is recommended when other non-surgical therapies have. Conclusion: ESWT can play an important role in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, if there are appropriate indications, unitary treatment protocols that are correctly applied and reproducible.