What is Shockwave Therapy?

Shockwave therapy uses high-energy sound waves to promote healing inside the body. These sound waves travel through the skin and target damaged tissue without surgery, injections, or medication.

There are two main types:

Radial shockwave (more surface-level)
Focused shockwave (deeper, precise, and more clinically effective)

How Focused Shockwave Therapy Works

Focused shockwaves are directed to a specific point inside the tissue—much like adjusting a camera lens to focus on a small target. This allows the treatment to reach deeper structures such as tendons, ligaments, joints, and bone.

Focused shockwave:

Targets the exact depth of the injury
Improves circulation
Stimulates tissue repair
Reduces pain signals

This makes it especially helpful for chronic or hard-to-treat conditions.

Man doing a workout - black & white photo

Increased Blood Flow

Shockwaves stimulate the formation of new blood vessels (neovascularization), improving oxygen and nutrient delivery to the injured area.

Cellular Activation

Shockwaves activate cells such as fibroblasts and tenocytes, which are responsible for repairing tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissue.

Collagen Regeneration

Shockwaves encourage organized collagen production, helping injured tissue remodel stronger and healthier.

Reduced Inflammation

Shockwaves help interrupt inflammatory molecules (such as IL-1 and TNF-α), decreasing pain and swelling.

Pain Modulation

Shockwaves reduce nerve hypersensitivity and reset pain pathways, providing both immediate and long-lasting relief.

Breakdown of Calcifications or Scar Tissue

In areas with chronic damage, shockwaves help soften or break down unhealthy tissue, improving mobility and overall function.

Accelerated Natural Healing

These mechanisms work together to restart and accelerate the body’s natural healing response—especially in chronic or stalled injuries.

Conditions Focused Shockwave Can Help Treat

Focused shockwave therapy is clinically supported for a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions, including:

Shoulder - rotator cuff tendinitis, bursitis, strains, spasms, frozen shoulder, osteoarthritis
Elbow - tendinitis, osteoarthritis, impingement syndrome
Hand/Wrist - tendinitis, sprains, osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome
Neck/Low back - pain, stiffness, spasms
Hips - osteoarthritis, bursitis, tendinitis, muscle strains
Knees - tendinitis, sprains, osteoarthritis,
Foot/ankle - Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, osteoarthritis, ankle sprains, tendinitis
Rotator cuff tendonitis, frozen shoulder, bursitis
Hamstring, thigh, calf strains
Post-injury and post-surgical swelling

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Benefits of Focused Shockwave Therapy

Non-invasive, drug-free treatment
Reduces pain and inflammation
Speeds up tissue repair
Improves mobility and function
Helps heal chronic or stubborn injuries
Minimal to no downtime
Works synergistically with physical therapy, chiropractic care, and biologic injections
Can be used for prevention of injuries
Short treatment sessions (10–15 minutes)

What Shockwave Treatments Feels Like

A small amount of gel is applied to the skin.
The device delivers pulses of focused energy to the area.
Most people describe the sensation as tapping, pressure, or a deep vibration.
It may feel intense in sensitive areas, but it is generally well-tolerated.
Treatment typically lasts 10–15 minutes.
You can resume normal activities immediately after.

Safety of Focused Shockwave Therapy

Focused shockwave is considered a safe and well-studied therapy.

No radiation
No anesthesia
No needles or incisions
No downtime
Very low risk of complications

Mild temporary soreness, redness, or sensitivity in the treated area is possible but typically resolves within 24–48 hours.

It is not recommended for:

Pregnancy
Patients with active infections or tumors in the area
Patients on blood thinners with high bleeding risk
Certain heart conditions or pacemakers (case-by-case basis)

Summary

Focused Shockwave Therapy is a safe, non-invasive, and scientifically supported treatment that helps the body heal chronic or stubborn injuries. By improving blood flow, stimulating cell repair, reducing inflammation, and normalizing pain signals, shockwave therapy often leads to improved recovery, less pain, and better long-term function. It is an excellent option for patients who want effective treatment without medication, injections, or surgery.

Research

Wang CJ, Weng LH, Ko JY, et al. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Sports Med. 2020;48(11):2660-2667.

Speed CA, Nichols D, Richards C, et al. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for plantar fasciitis — a double blind randomised controlled trial. J Orthop Res. 2003;21(5):937–940.

De la Corte-Rodríguez H, et al. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for the Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review. Healthcare (Basel). 2023;11(21):2830.

Paantjens MA, et al. Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy for Mid-portion and Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials. Sports Med Open. 2022;8(1):65.

Schmitz C, et al. Efficacy and safety of extracorporeal shock wave therapy for tendon and other musculoskeletal disorders: A systematic review. Br Med Bull. 2015;116(1):115-134.

De la Corte-Rodríguez H, et al. The Effectiveness of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy: A Review with Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Medicina (Kaunas). 2023;59(6):E.

Dedes V, et al. Effectiveness and Safety of Shockwave Therapy in Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2018;99(12):2606-2614.

Xue X, et al. Effect of extracorporeal shockwave therapy for rotator cuff tendinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2024;25(1):357.

Liu K, et al. Efficacy and safety of extracorporeal shock wave therapy for chronic low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2024;103(9):e32192.

Feeney KM, Varacallo M, O’Donnell C, et al. Effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy for mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy: a systematic review. Phys Sportsmed. 2022; (note: journal issue).

Simplicio CL, Caffaro RA, Bassetto J, et al. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy mechanisms in musculoskeletal regenerative medicine. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2020;46(5):1101–1115.

Wang CJ, Weng LH, Ko JY, et al. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Sports Med. 2020;48(11):2660-2667.

Chen TW, Lin CW, Lee CL, et al. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy improves pain and function in knee osteoarthritis: a prospective randomized controlled trial. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(20):e15451.

Zhao Z, Jing R, Shi Z, et al. Effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwave therapy for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arthritis Res Ther. 2024;26(1):27.