Shockwave
Therapy

Shockwave therapy uses a handheld device to deliver high-energy sound waves into the body’s soft tissues. At Severn Clinics, we use both focused and radial shockwave therapy.

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Understanding shockwave therapy

Shockwave therapy is one of the treatment options discussed after assessment. Evidence and expected outcomes depend on the condition and treatment protocol.

ShockwaveTherapy was originally researched and developed for the treatment of kidney stones. Decades of further research has established it is an excellent treatment for a wide range of painful musculoskeletal conditions.

At Severn Clinics we are the only clinic on the Lower North Island using both Focused and Radial Shockwave for the treatment of chronic pain.

Pain Relief - That Actually Works

Scientific studies have shown shockwave is an effective treatment for a wide range of pain conditions.

About shockwave therapy

Research has shown shockwave can bring effective relief for a wide variety of painful conditions. Even those that are often resistant to other treatments.

Totally Non-Invasive

Shockwave therapy uses a handpiece applied to the skin. Suitability, potential risks and alternatives need to be discussed before treatment.

Works On The Cause

Treatment recommendations depend on your symptoms, assessment and the evidence relevant to your condition. We review your response before discussing further sessions.

What Can Shockwave Therapy Help With?

Shoulder Pain

Calcifying tendinopathy of the shoulder.
Rotator cuff tendinopathy.
Impingement symptoms.

Ankle Pain

Achilles tendinopathy.
Foot and ankle tendinopathies.
Peroneal tendinopathy.
Tibial stress syndrome (shin splint).

Arm Pain

Lateral epicondylopathy of the elbow (tennis elbow).
Medial epicondylopathy of the elbow.

Foot Pain

Plantar fasciitis, with or without heel spurs.
Foot and ankle tendinopathies.
Plantar fibromatosis.

Hand And Wrist Pain

Osteoarthritis.
De Quervain diseases.
Trigger finger.
Dupuytren disease.

Bone Pain

Bone pathologies.
Delayed bone healing.
Bone Non-Union (pseudarthroses).
Bone marrow edema.
Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) without articular derangement.

Hip Pain

Osteoarthritis.
Avascular bone necrosis without articular derangement.

Groin Pain

Adductor tendinopathy syndrome.

Knee Pain

Osteoarthritis.
Patellar tendinopathy.
Pes-Anserine tendinopathy syndrome.
Osgood Schlatter disease.

Muscle And Joint Pain

Tendinopathies.
Myofascial Syndrome.
Muscle sprain without discontinuity.

How Shockwave Therapy Works

Shockwave therapy uses a handheld device to fire high energy sound waves through the body’s bone and soft tissues – just like medical lasers do – but with sound. The sound waves can be focused on a single point up to a depth of up to 12 cm.

These sound waves were originally tested as a treatment for kidney stones. Interestingly, people in these initial trials also found that old pain complaints spontaneously resolved. Famously, one lady suffering from severe tissue death (osteonecrosis) in her hip bone caused by poor blood supply showed regenerated bone tissue.

Practitioner applying a shockwave therapy device to a patient's upper back

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The Shockwave Therapy Process

Step One – Initial Consultation

We’ll take a look at what’s going on with your pain and diagnose what we think is likely causing it.
Step Two – Plan Of Management

We’ll determine how frequently treatment is required. For most people this will be either twice a week, weekly or fortnightly depending on what’s going on.
Step Three – Treatment

We monitor your treatment very closely for the first four to six weeks and make sure you’re seeing the improvements we expect.
Step Four – Rehabilitation

Where appropriate, we discuss rehabilitation and longer-term management. Results and recurrence vary.

Take A Tour Of Our Wellington Clinic

Our team offers a wide range of treatments, helping you to achieve your recovery goals.

Clinician using a handheld treatment applicator on a seated man's forearm at the clinic.

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Shockwave Research

Shockwave therapy has been heavily researched. Here’s a few studies that have looked into its benefits of the conditions it treats.

Study Title: Extracorporeal shockwave therapy in musculoskeletal disorders.

Summary: This article reviewed several studies looking at whether shockwave therapy is an effective treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. The researchers concluded Shockwave therapy is an effective treatment for musculoskeletal and orthopedic conditions and that it has the potential of replacing surgery in many orthopedic disorders without the surgical risks. Read the full study here.

Study Title: Efficacy and safety of extracorporeal shock wave therapy for orthopedic conditions: a systematic review on studies listed in the PEDro database.

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Study Title: High-energy extracorporeal shock-wave therapy for calcifying tendinitis of the rotator cuff: a randomised trial.

Summary: In a prospective study, researchers looked at whether shockwave effectively treats calcifying tendinitis of the rotator cuff. Patients were eligible for the study if they had more than a three-month history of calcifying tendinitis of the rotator cuff, with calcification measuring 10 mm or more in maximum dimension. People were split into two groups and received 2500 extracorporeal shockwaves using either radial or focussed shockwaves. Those in the focussed group showed greater improvements. The researchers concluded that people who have had a hard time recovering from calcifying tendinitis in their shoulder can see improvements after 3 months of focussed shockwave therapy. Read the full study here.

Study Title: Extracorporeal shock wave therapy in the treatment of chronic tendinopathies.

Summary: This literature review looked at different research papers that had examined whether shockwave therapy was an effective treatment for chronic tendinopathies. Based on the evidence in the paper, the researchers concluded that shockwave therapy can help manage calcification of the supraspinatus and plantar fasciitis when nonsurgical treatments have failed. Shockwave therapy is even more effective if the person adminsterinting it asks for patient feedback while they’re doing so. Read the full study here.

Study Title: Effectiveness of radial shock-wave therapy for calcific tendinitis of the shoulder: single-blind, randomized clinical study.

Summary: The researchers looked at the effectiveness for shockwave therapy at treating calcific tendinitis in their shoulder. People treated with shockwave showed improvement in their shoulder tendonitis and these improvements were still seen at a 6-month follow-up. The calcifications disappeared completely for 86.6% of those who’d received shockwave treatment. Read the full study here.

Study Title: Current evidence of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in chronic achilles tendinopathy.

Summary: This article reviews the evidence-based literature on shockwave therapy as a treatment for chronic Achilles tendinopathy. Shockwave therapy is one of the most effective options for treating chronic Achilles tendinopathy. Read the full study here.

Study Title: The effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in lower limb tendinopathy: a systematic review.

Summary: The researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of shockwave for lower limb tendinopathies, including pain in the greater trochanter, patella, and Achilles tendon. They didn’t carry out an experiment, but instead looked at the data from 13 other studies. Shock wave therapy is an effective intervention for treating greater trochanter, patella, and Achilles tendon tendinopathies, particularly when other nonoperative treatments have failed. Read the full study here.

Study Title: Long-term results of extracorporeal shockwave treatment for plantar fasciitis.

Summary: This study aimed to see if shockwave therapy could deliver long term relief for people with plantar fasciitis. In this study, people received shockwaves while others received nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Before treatment, the groups showed no significant differences in the scores for pain and function. After treatment, the shockwave group showed significantly better pain and function scores as compared with the control group, showing that shockwave is an effective treatment for plantar fasciitis. Read the full study here.

Study Title: Extracorporeal shock wave therapy is effective in treating chronic plantar fasciitis: a meta-analysis of RCTs

Summary: This study aimed to look at if shockwave treatment could significantly reduce the pain of chronic plantar fasciitis. The researchers took two baseline measurements that measure pain and limitations of activity and investigated if these measures of pain changed. Compared to their placebo group, the researchers observed greater success of improving heel pain by 60% using shockwave therapy. They concluded shockwave treatment is safe and effective, with plantar fasciitis pain improving 12 weeks after the treatment. The reduction in pain can last up to 12 months. The authors recommend shockwave for patients who are in a lot of pain, but have tried other treatments without success. Read the full study here.

Study Title: Dose-related effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy for plantar fasciitis

Study Title: Extracorporeal shock wave therapy in inflammatory diseases: molecular mechanism that triggers anti inflammatory action.

Summary: The researchers reviewed evidence that shockwave therapy can keep the levels of nitrous oxide at a normal level and help to reduce the amount of inflammation in the body. One of the possible ways that shockwave therapy works is to keep the level of nitrous oxide in your body at a normal level. This makes it easier for your body to produce more nitrous oxide when it needs to. Keeping your nitrous oxide at a lower physiological level during the first few days of inflammation can help treat diseases that are caused by inflammation. Read the full study here.

Study Title: Extracorporeal shock wave treatment in nonunions of long bone fractures.

Summary: The authors reviewed results of the past 7 years in order to investigate the effect of shock wave therapy in nonunions of long bone fracture. A hypertrophic nonunion is when an abundant callus forms but the bone doesn’t heal properly. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy was successful in people with hypertrophic nonunions. The researchers concluded that shockwave is a good choice for people who have long bone fractures and it has not yet healed. Read the full study here.

Shockwave FAQ

Do I need a referral?

No you don’t, though we do accept referrals from other medical and allied health professionals. If you’re unsure if the treatment is right for you, booking in an initial consultation is your best option.

How many sessions will I need?

It depends on what you’re coming to us for and how long you’ve been experiencing pain. We will usually monitor you closely over the first 4-6 weeks of your treatment to see how you’re responding and then make a recommendation from there. If you’ve been experiencing pain for years you might require a longer bout of treatment.