01The basics
What is shockwave therapy, and what is it offered for?
A handheld device is held against the skin and sends pulses of low-intensity sound waves into the tissue underneath. The same technology, at higher energy, breaks up kidney stones. There are two kinds of machine, focused and radial, and they are not the same.
- Erection problems
- The European urology guideline says it can be offered to some men, such as those with mild problems linked to blood flow. Results differ from man to man, and Dr. Rockhead talks you through what to expect for you.
- A painful bend (Peyronie's disease)
- It is offered for pain in the early phase, and the European guideline includes it for that. For the bend itself, men are usually referred to a urologist.
- Long-term pelvic pain in men
- It is offered for some long-term pelvic pain in men. Ask Dr. Rockhead whether it suits your kind of pain.
The short version
What to know first.
Results differ from man to man. Dr. Rockhead talks you through what to expect for you before anything is booked.
Ask Dr. Rockhead how many sessions he plans for you. The long-term risks are not yet known. In the United States it is not approved for erection problems.
02Who you meet
Who do you meet first?
Dr. Charles Rockhead, at 9 Devon Road in Kingston. He goes through your health, your medicines and what has already been checked, and explains your options. He is an obstetrician and gynaecologist. If your own doctor or a urologist has already seen you, bring what they found, and if nobody has checked you yet, say so. Ask, too, whether the machine is focused or radial.
Dr. Charles Rockhead, Medical Director — Oshun Cosmetic Services, Kingston.
Dr. Charles Rockhead
Medical Director · Board-Certified OB/GYN · 30+ years of practice
Dr. Charles Rockhead is a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with more than thirty years of practice in Kingston. He is the Medical Director of Oshun Cosmetic Services and the founding physician of Amadeo Medical Group, the parent clinical practice.
Read the clinic story · View Dr. Rockhead's LinkedIn
03A session
What happens at a session?
A session takes 15 to 30 minutes. Some men should not have it: see who.
i.
Getting ready
Tell us every medicine you take. If you take a blood thinner, do not stop it for this. Tell us, and the doctor who prescribed it decides.
ii.
The treatment
Gel goes on the skin, and the handpiece is moved over the treated area while it gives a set number of pulses. Nothing is injected and no anaesthetic is needed.
iii.
How it feels
A pulsing feeling, mild to moderate. It is usually not painful, and the energy can be turned down if it is.
iv.
Going home
You go back to your day. The treated area may be sore afterwards.
04Afterwards
What to expect after, and when to get help.
- When would I know?
- It differs from man to man. Agree with Dr. Rockhead when you will be checked, before you start.
- Side effects
- Soreness, bruising or skin irritation, mostly short-lived. In studies on Peyronie's disease, some men also had bleeding from the urethra (the tube you pass urine through), small spots of bleeding in the skin, or a lump of blood under the skin.
- When to get help
- Go to a hospital at once if you cannot pass urine. Call us straight away on (876) 676-6297 for bleeding that does not stop, pain or swelling that is getting worse, or a fever. If we are closed or you cannot reach us, go to a hospital, and say you had shockwave therapy and when.
05Is it right for you
What to have checked first, and who should not have it.
- Erection problems
- The European guideline says a doctor should ask about your health, examine you and order blood tests before any treatment. If you take medicine for blood pressure, sugar or anything else, keep taking it.
- Pelvic pain
- Pain when you pass urine, trouble passing it, pain in the penis, testicles or bottom, pain when you ejaculate, or a fever can mean an infection of the prostate, which can be serious. See a doctor about those first.
- Who it is offered to
- The European guideline names it for men whose problem is mild and linked to blood flow. Dr. Rockhead checks the cause first and talks you through your options.
- Who should not have it
- We don't give it over a cancer in the treated area, with an active infection, with a bleeding disorder, with some pacemakers, or in pregnancy. We don't usually give it to a man on a blood thinner either. Never stop one on your own for this.
06Cost & booking
What you pay, and how to book.
- What it costs
- Your quote comes in writing at the consultation. Have the number of sessions, and the cost of each, on it before you start.
- Worth knowing
- You can take your written quote home and decide in your own time. No treatment is booked unless you say so.
- When and where
- Oshun, 9 Devon Road, Kingston. Monday and Wednesday, 10 AM to 6 PM. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 AM to 4 PM. Closed Friday to Sunday. WhatsApp messages sent after hours are answered the next business morning.
- Paying
- Cash, debit card, credit card or approved financing. Health insurance generally does not cover it.
If this sounds right
The next step is a conversation, not a commitment.
Start with a consultation with Dr. Rockhead. No treatment is booked unless you say so.
No obligation · Every consultation is in-person with Dr. Rockhead.
