The Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Chronic Coccydynia

Abstract

Objective: Coccydynia is a disorder that decreases quality of life with significant functional failure. Extra-corporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is used to treat several painful musculoskeletal disorders. Subjects and Methods: The medical records of 34 patients (29 females, 5 males) who had been treated with ESWT between 2017 and 2018 for chronic coccydynia were evaluated. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores were noted at the initial consultation, at each session, and during the initial and follow-up (at 6 months) examinations after the treatment. The 36-item short form (SF-36) quality of life scale survey was conducted at the beginning and end of the treatment. MRI was performed before the start of the procedure and 1 month after the end of the treatment. Results: The mean VAS score was 9.6 (9-10) before the treatment and 3.4 (0-2) after the treatment (p < 0.05). The VAS score decreased to ≤3 in 79.4% of patients. Bone marrow edema regressed in 6% of patients. Significant improvement was observed in all of the SF-36 parameters, except for two. Conclusion: In our patient group, ESWT provided effective pain control. In order to evaluate the efficacy of ESWT more accurately and sensitively, prospective randomized studies with longer follow-up periods, in which ESWT is compared with different energy doses and different treatment methods, are needed.