A: In consultation and with a prescription from with your podiatrist, family physician, or other medical specialist, technicians at MidPoint Medical will determine if you are an eligible candidate for ESWT treatment. If it appears you are a likely candidate and you will respond favorably to ESWT, a typical visit would consist of a 15 minute consult where necessary paperwork and forms will be signed and your condition will be assessed. At this time fees for the treatment will be discussed as well as any other questions you may have.

Assuming you are a candidate, you will be scheduled for treatment where patients typically require 3 separate treatment sessions approximately 7-14 days apart. Some sever conditions may require more than 3 visits. Each treatment session lasts approximately 5 – 15 minutes where the technician will apply ultrasonic transmission gel to the target area. The ESWT hand piece is then positioned to gently and extensively transmit shock waves over the injured area. The feedback you provide helps our technician fine tune the position of the applicator and the intensity of the treatment.

A: Although previous generations of ESWT machines could cause considerable pain, the radial shockwave technology we utilize does not generally cause any significant discomfort. Many patients describe their treatment as “strange” or “mildly uncomfortable” but few report any significant or lasting pain. This is demonstrated by the fact that freezing or local anesthetic is generally not required. However, depending on your condition, and the assistance of your podiatrist or family doctor, you may request a local anesthetic prior to treatment.

A: ESWT should not be used if there is a circulation or nerve disorder, bone tumor, infection, metabolic bone condition, or bone tumor. ESWT should also not be used if there are any open wounds or tumors or if the patient is pregnant. Patients who are on blood-thinning medications or who have severe circulatory disorders may also not be eligible for treatment. Additionally, if your doctor does not believe you are a candidate for ESWT we would also decline treatment. These matters will be discussed with you during your consultation.

After the ESWT treatment, patients may experience temporary soreness, tenderness or swelling for a few days following the procedure. Upon completion of your treatment you can return to most regular activities almost immediately. Occasionally pain or discomfort may persist for a few days following treatment but no serious complications or side-effects have been reported.

A: Patients generally require 3 separate treatment sessions approximately 7 – 14 days apart. Generally if a patient is not finding relief after 2 visits they may not respond to this type of therapy. For some conditions, patients may require more than 3 visits.

A: Provided you are a candidate for this type of treatment, clinical studies suggest there is a 80% – 85% chance this technology will improve your condition. Clinical studies further confirm that 88% of patients treated for calcaneal spurs and 95% of those treated for tennis elbow rated the results as “very good” or “good” only weeks after treatment. Numerous clinical trials have been published and are available by study by accessing our research link found on the EMS Medical website www.EMS-medical.com or by accessing the “studies” section of our website.

As one of the premier providers of ESWT in Canada, MidPoint Medical (and their predecessor company) has likewise found that approximately 7 out of 10 of our patients will see an improvement in their condition following their treatment program. One of the most important factors for success is being able to identify and select which patients and conditions are most likely to benefit from this technology. Given our experience we believe we can provide you with an accurate assessment on your candidacy for ESWT and the likelihood you will see an improvement in your condition.

Given that ESWT is not for every condition and is not guaranteed to provide relief in every case, it is imperative you carefully consider your treatment options and the costs involved so that you can determine if ESWT is a viable option for you.

• When you have been diagnosed with a condition that ESWT has been demonstrated effective in treating.
• When there are no significant or serious side effects or contraindications.
• When surgery is the only other viable alternative.
• When other conservative treatments have failed or did not work.
• When you understand the procedure, costs and other factors involved in your program of treatment.

A: In the US,  patients pay as much as $3000 – $5000 for similar treatments that often utilize older technology. These fees are necessary since ESWT technology can cost several hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase with high-maintenance costs also associated with this technology.

Newer ESWT technology used by MidPoint Medical has reduced these costs and improved patient outcomes. If you are a candidate, we are able to provide a 3-treatment package to patients for $300-$350 per visit depending on your condition or if multiple sites are required to be treated. Additional treatments above the 3 treatment package are available at a reduced rate.

A: As is the case with most medical treatments, MidPoint Medical cannot guarantee how you will respond to treatment or if you will see a significant improvement in your condition. However, if following your 3rd treatment you have not seen any improvement in your condition, additional 1–2 treatments will be provided to you at a reduced rate. If following these additional treatments there is still no improvement then unfortunately you may be one of the minority who do not respond favorably to ESWT and your doctor will suggest other treatment options you may have. We would ask you to carefully consider all factors prior to making your decision for ESWT, as there is a no refund policy in effect.

A: Although many of our patients are referred by their podiatrist or family physician a referral is not necessary. Please contact one of our several clinics for a convenient appointment time.

A: In British Columbia, ESWT is not covered by the provincial health care plan. Many private insurance plans do provide coverage for ESWT but may require a doctor’s referral first. Please check with your private insurance to determine eligibility for coverage.  Patients will receive a receipt which can be submitted for insurance re-imbursement and/or a tax deduction. MidPoint Medical does not direct bill insurance companies.

A: We accept a variety of payment forms including Visa, MasterCard, debit or cheque.

A: There are several different variations of shockwave therapy technology based on the way in which the machine generates the shockwave. The most common methods applied in shockwave generation are electrohydraulic, electromagnetic, piezoelectric and Radial. Each of these forms has different characteristics and advantages or disadvantages. By far the most common or popular in the industry is the radial shockwave therapy. Over the years we have owned, tested or utilized the various available technologies and have found that the radial shockwave produces the most effective treatment for most people for most conditions. As a result, we now own several of these very expensive machines and believe this technology will provide you with the best overall results.