What is Shockwave Therapy?

Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive outpatient procedure that uses radial pressure waves to create acoustic pulses which reduce pain and promote healing in injured ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissues.

Sometimes referred to as extracorporeal shockwave therapy or radial shockwave therapy, it can be an effective alternative to surgery for many chronic conditions.

How Shockwave Therapy Works

Shockwave therapy is delivered through targeted contact with a hand-held device that allows acoustic waves to radiate up to two inches below your skin’s surface. When these waves reach your injured tissues, they cause microscopic damage. This microtrauma triggers an acute inflammatory response–your body’s instinctive physiological reaction to begin repairing itself. This promotes new cell growth, collagen production, and improved circulation. In addition to injury repair, shockwave treatment impulses break up calcification that may have built up around an injury and desensitize nerve endings to provide relief from pain.

Conditions Treated with Shockwave Therapy

Physical Therapy Partners therapists use extracorporeal shockwave therapy to treat a variety of ligament, tendon, and soft tissue injuries. These conditions include, but are not limited to:

• Plantar fasciitis
• Achilles tendonitis
• Morton’s neuroma
• Retrocalcaneal buritis
• Patellar tendonitis (jumper’s knee)
• Leg pain (strained calves/hamstrings)
• Hip tendonitis/bursitis
• Shoulder tendonitis
• Calcific tendonitis
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Osteoarthritis in knees, hips, or shoulders
• Stress fractures