WHAT IS CARDIAC
SHOCK WAVE THERAPY (CSWT)?
Gentle Impulses
for the Heart
An innovative procedure that we use as a new therapy option
Cardiac shock wave therapy (CSWT) is a modern, non-invasive procedure for treating chronic heart and vascular diseases, which we are one of the first specialist practices in Germany to use.
With CSWT, we offer our patients a new, gentle therapy method based on purely physical impulses - no surgery, no anesthesia, no stress.
How does the new cardiac shock wave therapy work?
In Cardiac Shock Wave Therapy CSWT (or heart shock wave therapy), low-energy shock waves are directed specifically at those areas of the heart muscle that are degenerated or undersupplied - i.e., that receive too little oxygen and nutrients. The aim is to use these extremely gentle shock waves to improve blood circulation, modulate inflammatory processes, and activate the body's own regeneration mechanisms.
Originally used in urology and orthopedics, and now also in neurology, shock wave therapy has become increasingly established in cardiology in recent years. Clinical studies show that it can usefully expand the therapeutic spectrum for angina pectoris, coronary heart disease (CHD), and ischemic heart failure - as a gentle, complementary treatment method.
FROM BASIC RESEARCH
TO CLINICAL APPLICATION
Like all forms of shock wave therapy, CSWT works on the basis of a fascinating biological principle: mechanical stimuli can trigger healing processes.
In Cardiac Shockwave Therapy, shockwave pulses are applied through the chest wall and reach the deeper layers of the heart muscle. There, they stimulate the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and tissue regeneration via biomechanical signals - a process that researchers refer to as “mechanotransduction.”
This principle has been researched for many years at leading universities worldwide - including the University of Innsbruck, where cardiologists and biomedical scientists have systematically investigated the effects of shock waves on the heart muscle.
A study published in Innsbruck in 2024 caused quite a stir among experts: The study showed such significant improvements in exercise capacity, quality of life, and blood circulation in patients with chronic angina pectoris and heart failure that the ethics committee (a body that monitors the well-being and safety of patients) even terminated the study prematurely - in favor of the patients in the placebo arm, i.e., those who had only received a sham treatment. The results were so convincing that all patients were subsequently treated with CSWT. Such an occurrence is very rare in clinical studies and demonstrates the potential of cardiac shock wave therapy for our patients.
Outpatient, painless, and well tolerated
At Schlosspraxen Meyer, we perform CSWT on an outpatient basis for our patients in a relaxing atmosphere.
Treatment with cardiac shock wave therapy usually consists of several short sessions in which the shock waves are applied with precision. CSWT can be a useful addition to existing drug or interventional therapies, especially for patients whose symptoms persist despite optimal standard therapy or for whom further interventions are not an option.
Cardiac shock wave therapy thus opens up new prospects for many patients with chronic heart disease. Our approach is clear: we activate what the body can do itself - its own ability to regenerate and adapt.
CSWT as a gentle addition to medication, stent
or bypass
In traditional cardiology, the focus is initially on medication and, if necessary, revascularization procedures such as stenting or bypass surgery. Cardiac shock wave therapy does not replace these procedures, but it complements them to a significant extent - and it is purely outpatient, painless, and does not require anesthesia.
Our goal is to use this innovative procedure to specifically stimulate microcirculation in the heart muscle, thereby improving resilience, everyday tolerance, and quality of life - especially when symptoms persist despite optimal standard therapy or further interventions are no longer possible or desired.
CSWT thus represents a cautious but important step forward: a heart therapy that supports rather than replaces - and activates healing processes where modern medicine has previously only been able to intervene to a limited extent.
