AllWhale

Introducing AllWhale! AllWhale is a non-pharmaceutical alternative to treating menstrual cramping, and its associated symptoms. It does this through the commercialisation of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) technology, which has previously only been available to consumers through pain clinics or medical intervention. Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for period cramps - a common part of the menstrual cycle. When the muscular wall of the womb contracts, blood vessels are compressed, cutting off oxygen supply, causing pain in the abdominal region. Current solutions to tackling dysmenorrhea are dominated by pharmaceutical painkillers, which are littered with contraindications. It is suggested that - as a result of these symptoms - approximately 17.2% of women experience a decrease in work productivity. 58.2% of school girls miss at least one school day. AllWhale looks to provide consumers with an alternative method of pain management, negating the need for the regular purchase of consumables. It utilises a treatment defined as extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT); it uses acoustic waves, originally used to treat tendinopathies. However, studies have proven that the pressure created as a result of this technology stimulates blood flow in that area, reopening compressed blood vessels. This is paired with a standard heating element, for a dual-treatment approach. A more character-based form proves unconventional in comparison to pre-existing medical devices, as it looks to challenge the human preconception that such products have to appear in a very particular way; white, sharp and sterile. As long as the geometry of the device allows the technology to function in its intended way, it could be argued that current medical products are visually outdated. A shift in paradigm may be exactly what the sector is looking for, in order to expand and improve.