Sudden Knee Pain, Torn Mensicus Responds Quickly to Shock Wave and Quad Strengthening

A 75 year-old male mildly overweight with type 2 diabetes step out of bed on June 28, 2022
and felt a sharp pain on the inside of his left knee when his left foot turned inward. He came
to me 2 weeks later on July 14, 2022 limping into the office with a cane asking for help. I took
a history, examined him and said it could be a ligament strain or a torn cartilage or both because
of the pain on the inside (medial) aspect of the left knee. I told him whether this ends up with a
surgical solution or not it is important to be on an anti-inflammatory diet; strengthen his quads
and calves to stabilize the knee, improve his range of motion of the knee and enhance the natural
healing process with shock wave (radial and focused) and some EMTT therapy (electromagnetotransduction therapy). Shock waves are pulsed sound waves not electrical shocks, while EMTT is high oscillating pulsed electromagnetic fields. Both promote healing.

After two combined treatments 1 week apart of 4000 (1.2-2.0 bar.15 Hz) radial pulses (“shocks”) and 2000 (.03-.07 mJ/mm2) focused pulses and EMTT treatments 5000-6000 oscillations (8/8Hz) there was a mild-to-moderate improvement though he was still using his cane. I then saw the MRI and referred him to an orthopedist which was scheduled for September 6, 2022 over a month away. I wasn’t sure about the focused and radial shock wave improving actual cartilage tears (there is some suggestion of a positive effect on cartilage; see references below) but I believed these therapies along with exercise would have him optimally prepared for a great surgical outcome if that is what was to happen. So to keep expenses down until he had his surgical evaluation we decided to just do the EMTT therapy (high oscillation pulsed electromagnetic fields) on the left knee that only takes 15-20 minutes weekly until his orthopedist appointment on September 6, then decide if he wanted more shock wave treatments. He continued to do the weekly leg strengthening exercises (below). EMTT only sessions were continued at 8000-9000 pulses (8/8Hz) for sessions 3, 4 and 5. Coming into the 4th session (8/2/22) before the treatment he said he hadn’t had any pain in his left knee since July 26 even though recently he had walked up and down 12 flights of stairs. He was still doing his Quad exercises religiously (and staying off all dairy products and processed wheat products; and his HgA1C was creeping down from 6.9 to 6.6 showing his diet was improving slowly). When he came in for his #5 EMTT session he said his left knee pain was almost completely gone and he hadn’t used his cane at all for the last week.

There is no perfect protocol with shock wave therapy and EMTT. There are guidelines then there is individual experience and “feel” and getting feedback from the patient. I used to be a certified massage therapist many years ago and putting my hands on people in a healing fashion is a natural for me. Many times I feel like I am “feeling” through the shock wave hand pieces, like extensions of my hands. These technologies and tools are very powerful because they stimulate your body to heal itself with minimal, if any side effects. I also can’t emphasize enough the importance of an anti-inflammatory diet , taking some nutrients, selective exercises and muscle strengthening playing a big role in healing a chronic problem and then staying well.

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