The combination of extracorporeal shock wave therapy and noncontact apoptosis-inducing radiofrequency achieved significant waist circumferential reduction: a pilot study

Abstract A paradigm shift towards noninvasive body contouring has occurred over the past few years. Radiofrequency (RF) is one popular treatment method. Noncontact-type RF systems with frequencies in the tens of megahertz represent a novel approach. The current pilot study investigated the efficacy of an interesting combination of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) and an apoptosis-inducing RF (AiRF) system for circumferential reduction. Twenty-seven females, ages ranging from 13-69 years, (mean age 37.96 years) participated in the study. They were assigned to two treatment-based groups: Group A (n=19) and Group B (n=8). A voluntary daily dietary restriction plan of 500 kcal was put in place for all subjects. A combination of two different devices was used; an extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) system and a 27.12 MHz AiRF system. Either 4 (n=28) or 6 sessions (n=19) were given, one week apart. In Group A, the ESWT was applied before the RF with the reverse order of application in Group B. Weight and waist circumference were noted at baseline, then one week after the 4(th) and the 6(th) treatment sessions at which points clinical photography was also obtained. All patients showed statistically significant waist circumferential loss in both the 4- and 6-week treated groups: Group A, 6.3 cm and 8.8 cm; Group B, 5.9 cm and 6.4 cm, respectively. Greater circumference loss tended to be seen in Group A in both groups, but without statistical significance. No patient complained of pain during or after the treatment sessions, and there were no adverse events. This pilot study showed that the combination of ESWT and AiRF was safe and effective for significant waist circumferential reduction. The results tended to be better when ESWT was applied before AiRF, although the difference was not significant.