Shockwave

Shockwave therapy (often called extracorporeal shockwave therapy, or ESWT) is a non-invasive treatment that uses high-energy sound waves to stimulate healing in injured tissues. Despite the name, it doesn’t involve electricity—it delivers acoustic waves that travel through the skin to the injured area.

How It Works

• A handheld device is placed on the skin over the injury.

• It sends short, high-energy pulses of sound waves into the tissue.

• These waves increase blood flow, reduce pain signals, and stimulate the body’s natural healing process by promoting tissue repair and breaking down scar tissue or calcifications.

Common Uses

Shockwave therapy is often used in sports medicine, orthopedics, and rehabilitation for conditions that don’t improve with rest, physical therapy, or medication. Some of the most common conditions treated include:

• Plantar fasciitis (heel pain)

• Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)

• Calcific tendinitis of the shoulder

• Patellar tendinopathy (“jumper’s knee”)

• Achilles tendinopathy

• Muscle trigger points

Benefits

• Non-surgical and non-invasive

• Typically requires only a few sessions

• Can reduce pain and improve function

• May speed up recovery for chronic injuries

Things to Know

• Some patients feel mild discomfort during the procedure, but it’s generally well tolerated.

• Soreness or redness in the treated area for 1–2 days is common.

• It’s usually considered when standard treatments (like rest, NSAIDs, or physical therapy) haven’t worked.