Shockwave Therapy

Shockwave therapy, also known as extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), is a non-invasive treatment that uses acoustic waves to promote healing and reduce pain in musculoskeletal conditions. It works by stimulating the body’s natural healing process, often in cases where the body hasn’t been able to heal itself.

When appropriately applied, Shockwave can increase local blood flow, improve healing response, break apart scar tissue and adhesions, reduce muscle spasms, and directly decrease pain. Most patients tolerate the treatments well and report only mild discomfort.

Shockwave therapy is typically administered by a sports medicine physician or athletic trainer with a physician’s supervision. An athlete’s doctor typically has a detailed understanding of their health history. Athletic trainers have deep knowledge of the anatomy of joints, tendons, and ligaments, and common patterns of sports injury.

During treatment, the clinician holds a shockwave device next to the skin. The device sends shockwaves into the injured tissues, stimulating increased blood flow and growth hormones to the area, promoting new tissue growth.