How does Storz medical shockwave treat cellulite?

Highlights

Shockwave, due to its proven biological effects, is used to treat
conditions in many fields of medicine. However, recent years have seen an increase in interest in its
effects in the field of ESThetic treatments. It has raised particular hopes in the treatment
of so-called lipodystrophy of adipose tissue – or colloquially IN CELLULITE TREATMENT.

The treatment of cellulite is mostly based on the action of stimulating cell metabolism and
increasing the TRANSVERSION OF the blood vessels. Shockwave is one of the
simpler and side-effect-free methods, causing, in addition to the mentioned effects, also
mechanical action on adipose tissue, and more specifically on the septa between the
fat lobules (red lines in the photos above). The study presented here is one of the few
presenting cellulite in the context of this type of therapy.

Worldwide study
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of shockwave on the structure of collagen (the septa between
fatty tissue lobules) of the skin in an area with cellulite. The researchers asked
themselves whether it is possible to treat cellulite with this particular physical method. Treatment
of cellulite can be carried out in a number of different ways, but given the biological
impact of the shock wave, this therapy seems to be an obvious complementary treatment for any
other action.

Description of the study
The study was published in Clinical Interventions in Aging in 2007. The original title is Can cellulite be treated with low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy?

The study included 21 women, aged between 20 and 60 years. Five of them had
grade 1 cellulite, six had grade 2, and ten had grade 3. The
collagenometry – ultrasound imaging – was used to accurately assess changes
in the structure of the connective tissue (collagen and elastin) lying between the fatty tissue lobules. The therapy used a device generating
shock wave with a 25/25 mm head and a penetration depth of about 5 mm – the so-called radial wave
(present in the Storz Medical device). The energy density was 0.018 mJ/mm 2 . The treatment was
the outer parts of the thighs, in an area of 160 cm 2 on each side, where cellulite was present. The entire treatment area was divided into 20 squares with an area of 4cm 2 , and
100 strokes were applied to each square, representing 4000 pulses per session. Treatments were performed twice a
week for a month and a half. The criterion for evaluating the therapy was the (aforementioned) collagenometry.
This study provided a two-dimensional image of tissue density. The tissue was divided into two
areas – the dermis, closer to the epidermis, and the dermis, closer to the subcutaneous tissue. Improvement in uniformity in each area is 1 point. No change is 0 points. Deterioration of homogeneity is -1 point. Thus, one patient was scored in two categories.

Analysis of collagenometry results PROVIDED that shock wave influences collagen remodeling in the skin in most patients and brings a reduction in fat thickness.

The graph shows that four patients improved in both areas, and eight patients improved in one area. For two patients, the resultant of both scores was zero. Five patients recorded deterioration in one area, and only two in two areas. In addition, in a subjective evaluation of the treatment (both after 1 series and after 2-4 weeks of therapy), the ladies overwhelmingly reported that both cellulite and subcutaneous tissue were reduced and skin tone was increased.

Conclusions
The study conducted allows us to conclude that the shock wave with the above-mentioned parameters causes remodeling of the collagen fibers of the skin, which affects the reduction of cellulite, both in objective assessment using collagenography and subjective assessment of patients. At the same time, it is important to be aware that shockwave in the treatment of cellulite is not a factor that gives 100% effectiveness. The study did not include such important additional circumstances, such as drinking plenty of water, in order to get the substances released by the shock wave out of the body. By using dietary modifications and physical activity, the effectiveness of the treatment can be significantly increased.

Combining therapies
Improving the functioning of adipose tissue can be enhanced by a massage with the use of the
suction pump that is used in the original LPG Endermologie device. The transverse movement of the rollers that are placed in the head in contact with the patient’s skin and the very specific rotation of the head cause a strong breakdown of the fat cell structure and stimulate tissue drainage. Improving drainage after the application of the shockwave is an IMMEDIATE ELEMENT OF THE TREATMENT. It can be performed manually but Endermologie proves to be much more effective in this regard.

Treatments can be performed TWO TIMES A WEEK and this is optimal stimulation.
Of course, the SPECIALIST takes into account the PARAMETERS of the patient’s skin – individualizing the therapy in
as necessary.

You can almost completely eliminate cellulite!