Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive alternative treatment for patients who are struggling with pain and not responding to conventional treatment after an injury. Shockwave therapy can be quite helpful in reducing pain, assist in healing, and increasing range of motion.

How does shockwave therapy work?

Shockwave therapy devices deliver acoustic energy shockwaves in a phase of either nanoseconds or microseconds to stimulate healing in injured soft tissue, ligaments and tendons.

Shockwave treatment has been shown to have physiologic benefits by:

• Increasing cell permeability to create a localized inflammatory response. The energy coming into and out of the tissue increases blood flow, much the same as, but to a much greater extent than, a deep tissue massage or percussive hand pressure device known as a TheraGun.
• Causing degradation of the nerve bundle (nociception inhibition), which allows for pain modulation via the peripheral nervous system.
• Upgrading the physiologic process of healing by stimulating hormones and cells that are associated with a reparative process of healing.

What injuries are treated?

• Feet: Plantar fasciitis, Morton’s neuroma, nerve impingement or ligament injury
• Ankle: Chronic ankle pain, whether from osteoarthritis or ligamentous instability; a ligamentous defect in the ankle; gastrocnemius muscle strain or injury
• Lower leg: Achilles tendonitis; gastrocnemius muscle strain or injury; retrocalcaneal bursitis (heel pain)
• Knee: IT band; insertional pain; strain to the medial or lateral collateral (ligaments that form either side of the knee); jumper’s knee; patella tendinopathy
• Upper leg: quad injury or hamstring strain or injury
• Hand: strains and injuries
• Elbow: Little leaguer’s elbow; tennis elbow; tricep or bicep elbow injuries
• Hip: Gluteal muscle strain; bursitis; iliopsoas bursitis; hip flexor tendinosis
• Shoulder: Calcinosis of the rotator cuff; some partial tears of the rotator cuff; bicep injuries