Shockwave treatment accelerates the healing of injured muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones using acoustic waves. It is evidence-based and is supported in a range of studies for its effectiveness and ability to get you better results for your recovery. Shockwave has also been cited in the top therapies for heel pain (plantar fasciitis) in medical literature. We love the results we’re achieving using shockwave for our patients who want to get out of pain and back to doing the things they love faster and with less hassle.

What is shockwave?

Shockwave treatment uses a handheld device (machine) that is applied over muscle, tendon and bone injuries to produce beneficial, healing effects. Shockwave is widely used by health and medical professionals, especially those working with musculoskeletal injuries. It was first introduced in the 1980s when it was used to break down a kidney stone. It has been used as a medical treatment ever since.

How does Shockwave therapy work?

When the shockwave device is positioned over an injury and turned on, it directs calibrated, high-energy acoustic (sound) waves deep down into the area beneath. These sound waves stimulate the body’s natural healing process by increasing the blood flow locally and stimulating the production of growth factors and stem cells. These stimulate new blood vessels to grow, helping heal the injury faster. Shockwave also reduces the inflammation markers in the targeted area, which means less pain for our patients - many of whom can feel a reduction in their symptoms after their first appointment.

If the treatment (and the name ‘shockwave’) sounds a little intimidating, don’t worry. Shockwave therapy is pretty straightforward, and your podiatrist takes care of everything. You don’t need to do anything extra following your treatment, other than continue on with the regular treatment plan you’ve been provided.

By helping create an optimal cellular healing environment:

Shockwave reduces pain

Shockwave therapy is known for its pain-reducing abilities in two ways. Firstly, directly after the treatment, many of our patients report a temporary reduction in pain, almost like an anaesthetic-like effect. More importantly, when shockwave is applied to the injured area, it stimulates blood flow. This, together with shockwave’s effects of creating helpful microtears in injured tissues, signals to the body that it needs to focus the repair process where the injury is. This means you get out of pain and free of your symptoms faster because you get faster healing.

Shockwave therapy can also be helpful with pain relief by helping to release trigger points. We'll touch more on this below.

Shockwave resets the inflammation cycle, which kickstarts even if there have been delays in healing before

As we mentioned above, shockwave causes localised inflammation and your body will naturally react by prioritising repairing the cells in the area. This means that shockwave can be greatly beneficial for those who have had injuries for months already and haven’t seen the results they’re looking for, as there were some delays in healing.

Shockwave stimulates collagen production to help repair

When cells are damaged, collagen is naturally produced to try and repair these damaged cells. The older you are, the less collagen your body naturally produces. This is where shockwave therapy can be very beneficial in kickstarting the body's creation of collagen. We call this procollagen synthesis. Between 1–10% of muscle tissue is composed of collagen and the protein keeps muscles healthy and functioning correctly.

Shockwave promotes new blood vessel formation

You can’t effectively repair damaged tissues without adequate blood flow. Shockwave therapy causes purposeful capillary micro-ruptures, encouraging new blood vessels to grow in the treated area. These provide the necessary amount of blood and oxygen to the area, which helps heal tissues faster.

Shockwave breaks down calcium build-ups in chronically injured tissues

A range of clinical studies have shown that shockwave therapy breaks down calcium build-ups in the tissues. The acoustic waves sent through shockwave therapy break up these deposits to help prevent them from complicating or delaying your healing and repair.

Shockwave releases trigger points

Shockwave therapy works to release trigger points in the muscles gradually. Trigger points are one of the primary causes of muscle pain and tightness. The acoustic waves sent through shockwave therapy work to unblock the calcium pump and release the trigger points, often resulting in pain relief.

What can Shockwave therapy treat?

We see the best results for shockwave when treating tendon and muscle issues, including both new and chronic conditions that have been hanging around for an extended period. We only use shockwave on conditions where it is clinically indicated and beneficial - which we work out at your first appointment when we get to know you, diagnose the cause of your pain or injury, and create your treatment plan.

Shockwave is beneficial for:

• Plantar fasciitis heel pain
  
• Shin splints
  
• Achilles tendinopathy (both acute and chronic)
  
• Other tendinopathies 
  
• Iliotibial band syndrome (knee pain)
  
• Some chronic, long-standing bursitis 
  
• Trigger point therapy 
  
• Breaking down calcium build-ups
  

The thing about shockwave, like any musculoskeletal treatment, is that it’s usually a key component of an overall treatment plan. Our podiatrists have a holistic approach to care, which means that we don’t just focus on getting rid of your symptoms; we also address the causes of the problem so that there is less risk of it recurring. We also consider your lifestyle and goals - there’s no point in recommending you temporarily “stay off your feet” if you’re a tradie who needs to be at work daily to provide for your family. When creating your treatment plans, we consider you as a whole so that your care with us isn’t just optimised for success but also meaningful.

Depending on your injury, we may also recommend soft tissue mobilisation, orthotic therapy, laser treatment, exercise prescription, dry needling, gait retraining - and the list goes on. 

What should I expect in a Shockwave treatment session?

After completing your assessment, diagnosis and going through your treatment plan and options at your first exam with us, we’ll let you know if shockwave could be right for you. If it is, we can complete the first session right there and then. Our podiatrists are equipped with a diagnostic ultrasound to ensure it is safe to proceed with the treatment and will formulate a treatment plan based on your goals and timeline.

You’ll likely need several shockwave sessions (the number depends on the nature and severity of your injury). Your podiatrist will follow a similar routine as outlined in the steps below at each session: 

1. Our Brisbane podiatrist team locates the ideal treatment areas by touch and from your assessment notes.
   
2. We apply ultrasound gel to the injured area, which helps transfer the acoustic waves efficiently and smoothly from the shockwave device to the body.
   
3. Your podiatrist will then place the head of the hand-held probe on the treatment area and push it down slightly. We’ll then begin the treatment.
   

It's quite a unique device, so it may feel odd and even uncomfortable to start, but as the treatment continues, your discomfort should reduce. Each treatment will last for approximately 10-20 minutes. 

Does shockwave therapy hurt?

While you may feel an odd or uncomfortable sensation at first, there's really nothing to worry about with shockwave treatment. Our patients who have shockwave love their results much more than any short-lived discomfort that occurs from the vibration of the device against the skin. Any discomfort is comparable to a feeling of pushing on a bruise. Some mild tenderness may hang around after the treatment, but this should settle within 24 hours, with shockwave often providing pain relief within 0-12 hours following treatment. 

During each subsequent shockwave session, we’ll increase your dosage of acoustic energy waves to continue promoting healing. Thus, discomfort levels remain pretty constant throughout your treatments as your body adjusts and recovers to absorb higher energy waves. 

How many treatments do I need to improve my condition?

It really depends on the severity of your condition and pain. We usually recommend 3-to four treatments at one per week because the soft tissue regeneration and recovery cycle is four weeks. 

Many patients notice an immediate difference once the session is complete, or within a few hours or days. Because the healing process starts immediately after your first treatment, we usually expect your pain and symptoms to continually decrease each week. 

Are there any side effects of shockwave?

It is uncommon to experience side effects from shockwave aside from the mild discomfort around the area of injury. Some people have experienced some bruising, but again that is also rare.

Visit one of our Brisbane Podiatry clinics

If you would like to talk to one of our team, visit us at one of two Brisbane based locations, CBD & Newmarket.

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