Journal
What shockwave therapy treats, and what it does not
4 minute read. Written by the team at Back in Health, Kelowna.
In short
Shockwave therapy uses brief, focused acoustic pulses over a tendon or connective-tissue area to stimulate circulation and the cells that repair bone and connective tissue. It is used for tendon problems that have plateaued: plantar fasciitis, Achilles and patellar tendon pain, tennis and golfer's elbow, and shoulder tendon irritation. It is not used over fresh injuries, infections, in pregnancy, or without medical guidance on blood thinners, and it works best alongside a loading programme rather than instead of one.
What the pulses do
A handheld applicator delivers strong, very short energy pulses into the sore area. The pulses create a controlled stimulus in tissue that has stalled: circulation increases, and the cells responsible for connective-tissue and bone repair are switched back on. That is why it is reserved for problems that have stopped improving on their own rather than for anything new.
The problems it is used for
Tendinopathies are the main group: plantar fascia and heel pain, Achilles and patellar tendon pain, tennis and golfer's elbow, gluteal tendon pain at the hip, and shoulder tendon irritation including calcific deposits. The pattern is familiar to anyone who has one: worst first thing or at the start of activity, easing as you warm up, back again afterwards, for months.
What a session is like
The first visit at Kirschner is up to 45 minutes and includes a history, examination and treatment, so you find out whether shockwave is the right tool before committing to more. Treatment itself takes a few minutes and is uncomfortable over the sore spot while the pulses run, then settles. Follow-ups are 30 minutes; how many you need is decided at that first assessment.
It is delivered by our kinesiologist and manual osteopathic practitioner, which matters because the exercise plan that goes with it is the other half of the result. Shockwave restarts repair; the exercise tells the tendon what to rebuild for.
When it is the wrong tool
Shockwave is not used over a fresh injury, an infection, a tumour, growth plates in children, in pregnancy, or where you are on blood thinners without your doctor's guidance. It is not a treatment for muscle strain, nerve pain or joint arthritis. If your problem is any of those, we will say so at the first visit and point you to the right discipline instead.
Key points
- For tendon problems that have plateaued, not fresh injuries
- First visit includes assessment, so you learn if it fits before a course
- Several short sessions, paired with a loading programme
- Not for muscle strains, nerve pain, arthritis or pregnancy
General information, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. If something is getting worse, or you are unsure whether it is right for you, speak to a clinician.