Shockwave therapy is not a new medical discovery - it has been used in hospitals for years to treat conditions like kidney stones - but this is a new application of this type of treatment. The type of shockwave therapy which Muriel has received was originally developed to improve bone healing, but during the testing process it was discovered that it also helped the surrounding tissue to heal faster. Since venous ulcers are basically skin wounds which can't heal on their own, this has proved to be an invaluable treatment for the 20% of ulcer patients for whom the conventional treatments of dressings and antibiotics don't work.
There is still some debate over the exact mechanism that makes this treatment work, but clinical trials have shown that it stimulates skin healing, even in patients who have had their ulcer for a very long time.
If you are interested in reading more about the clinical evidence for shockwave therapy, it is discussed in the following peer-reviewed journal articles (please note that these reports are written for scientists and health professionals, so they can be quite technical):
Schaden W, Thiele R,
Kölpl C, Pusch M, Nissan A, Attinger CE, Maniscalco-Theberge
ME, Peoples GE, Elster EA, Stojadinovic A., 2007,
'Shock
wave therapy for acute and chronic soft tissue wounds: a feasibility
study', J
Surg Res., Nov;143(1):1-12.
Saggini R, Figus A, Troccola A,
Cocco V, Saggini A, Scuderi N., 2008,
'Extracorporeal
Shock Wave Therapy for Management of Chronic Ulcers in
the Lower Extremities',
Ultrasound Med Biol., Aug;34(8):1261-71.