Lota KS, Malliaropoulos N, Bikos G, Lohrer H. Radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy (rESWT) for coccydynia: a prospective study of 14 patients.
Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2023;
85:4656-4661. [PMID:
37811013 PMCID:
PMC10553196 DOI:
10.1097/ms9.0000000000001133]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background
Coccydynia is defined as pain in the coccyx. We investigated the effect of radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy (rESWT) in the management of coccydynia.
Methods
In this prospective study, patients (≥18 years) diagnosed with coccydynia at a sports clinic located in Thessaloniki, Greece, were eligible for rESWT treatment when they reported a visual analogue scale (VAS) pain level ≥6. Treatment sessions were once weekly and ended when VAS pain levels decreased to ≤3. Recurrence rates were documented at 3-month and 12-month follow-ups.
Results
Fourteen patients were treated using rESWT. The mean age and symptom duration of our cohort was 33.6±7.9 (range: 20-45) years and 9.4±8.5 (range: 3-36) months, respectively. The mean number of treatment sessions per patient was 6.4±1.6 (range: 4-8). The mean device pressure, frequency, and number of pulses was 1.2±0.1 (range: 1-1.4) bar, 5.0±0.1 (range: 5-6) Hz, and 2082±74.8 (range: 2000-2300) pulses, respectively. Treatment alleviated pain in all patients, and no recurrence of symptoms was reported during follow-up. There was a positive correlation between symptom duration and the number of treatment sessions (r=0.701, P=0.005). Pairwise comparison highlighted significant reductions in VAS pain levels between each stage of treatment (P<0.001).
Conclusion
Our study affirms the safety and efficacy of rESWT in managing coccydynia.
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