How does Shockwave Therapy work?
The science behind the mechanics of Shockwave Therapy explained.
Are you struggling with acute or chronic pain, stubborn injuries that won't go away, or heal?
Shockwave Therapy is a game-changing treatment that targets the root cause of pain and promotes long-lasting healing. We are experts in the field of this cutting-edge therapy with first class training to help you heal faster, increase mobility, and stay pain-free.
How Shockwave Therapy works.
The basics of the step by step process that occurs:
Shockwave Therapy very cleverly produces a natural non-invasive controlled targeted inflammatory response. This is essential to kick start and help the body's natural healing process target the correct area where the pain and injured tissue cells are located.
This is why anti-inflammatory medication is completely counter productive post treatment.
After Shockwave Therapy treatment, some patients do feel some pain relief within the first 1 – 2 sessions, but the full benefit often takes 6 – 12 weeks as the body's healing cycle runs its natural course.
Shockwaves penetrated into targeted area;
A handheld Shockwave device, produces high-energy acoustic waves. These are not electrical shocks, they are sound waves that penetrate the body non-invasively through ultrasound gel directly into the injured and damaged tissue that needs regenerating.
Tissue response;
*Increased blood flow: The waves stimulate new blood vessel growth (neovascularization), bringing oxygen and nutrients to speed up repair.
*Cell activation: Shockwaves activate fibroblasts and stem cells, which are key players in repairing tendons, ligaments, and bone.
*Pain modulation: The soundwaves positively interfere with nerve signals that transmit chronic pain, leading to reduced sensitivity.
*Breakdown of calcifications/scar tissue: In some conditions (like calcific tendinitis), the waves help break down calcium deposits or fibrotic tissue, making it easier for the body to reabsorb or remodel them.
Healing process;
Over the following weeks, the body uses these micro-stimuli to enhance tissue regeneration and reduce inflammation, often leading to pain relief and improved function.
🔹 Focused Shockwave Therapy (FSWT)
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How it works: Generates high-energy shockwaves that converge at a specific depth (like focusing sunlight through a magnifying glass).
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Penetration: Can reach deeper tissues - up to around 12 cm.
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Energy: Higher intensity, more targeted.
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Uses: Best for deep structures (e.g. non-healing bone fractures, deeper tendinopathies, calcific shoulder tendinitis).
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Sessions: Fewer are usually needed, but each session can be more intense.
🔹 Radial Shockwave Therapy (RSWT)
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How it works: Produces pressure waves that spread radially (like ripples when you throw a stone into water).
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Penetration: More superficial—effective up to about 3–4 cm depth.
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Energy: Lower intensity, more dispersed.
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Uses: Often for muscle pain, myofascial trigger points, and superficial tendon issues (like plantar fasciitis or tennis elbow).
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Sessions: Usually requires more treatments compared to focused.
The revelation that is Shockwave Therapy and why it is now the 'Go To' treatment.
Shockwave therapy is often described as a "revelation" in sports medicine because it bridges the gap between passive relaxation and long-term rehabilitation. While standard treatments like massage are excellent for temporary relief of muscle tension and improving surface-level circulation, they often struggle to reach the deep-seated, "stuck" tissue typical of chronic injuries.
Massage manipulates the muscle to relax it, but Shockwave Therapy uses acoustic wave energy to physically break down internal scarring and calcifications that a therapist's hands simply just cannot reach.
Compared to traditional Physiotherapy, which relies on a slow, progressive "bottom-up" approach of strengthening and stretching over several months, Shockwave Therapy offers a "top-down" metabolic kickstart. It is specifically better for those stubborn, non-responsive injuries because it acts as a bio-mechanical catalyst - often achieving in 3 to 5 sessions what might take months, if at all of manual therapy to accomplish.
While Physiotherapy is essential for long-term movement correction, Shockwave Therapy is the breakthrough tool that rapidly removes the biological roadblocks (like poor blood supply or nerve sensitivity) that prevent traditional exercises from working in the first place.
Why Shockwave Therapy outperforms standard treatment therapies:
Speed of results:
Noticeable pain reduction often occurs after the very first session, whereas manual therapy typically requires a long-term commitment.
Depth of treatment:
Acoustic waves can penetrate between 4/5cm - 12.5cm deep, reaching tendons and bone junctions that manual therapies simply cannot affect.
Targeting the "White Zones":
It forces blood flow into areas with naturally poor circulation (like the Achilles or Plantar Fascia) where traditional massage has limited impact.
Active vs. Passive healing:
Massage helps you feel better now, whereas Shockwave Therapy forces your body to build new tissue for the future.
Shockwave Therapy is a very unique type of treatment because unlike medications that mask pain or ice that reduces inflammation, shockwaves create a controlled mechanical stress called mechanotransduction. This process sends a message to the cells that a "new" injury has occurred, which trickles down into a biological response: it breaks down scarred or calcified tissue, stimulates the production of collagen, and triggers the release of growth factors that are essential for rebuilding damaged fibers.
What makes Shockwave Therapy so effective at repairing stubborn, long-term injuries is its ability to induce neovascularization—the formation of brand-new blood vessels. Many chronic injuries, like tendinopathies such as Plantar Fasciitis, occur in "white zones" of the body where blood flow is naturally poor, making it nearly impossible for the area to heal on its own. By physically forcing new blood flow into these deep tissues, Shockwave Therapy provides the oxygen and nutrients necessary for permanent repair. It essentially transforms a stagnant, chronic condition back into an active, healing one, often resolving issues that have failed to respond to years of traditional physical therapy.
The phases of healing after Shockwave treatment.
1. Inflammatory Phase - (First few days immediately after treatment)
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The shockwaves create tiny microtraumas in the tissue. This isn’t harmful, it’s absolutely intentional.
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Produces an increased blood flow, release of growth factors, and activation of immune cells
2. Regeneration/Proliferation Phase - (1–4 weeks post treatment)
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Fibroblasts (cells that build connective tissue) become more active.
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New blood vessels form (neovascularization).
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Collagen production ramps up to repair and strengthen tissue.
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Pain should start to decrease and body function gradually improves
3. Remodelling/Maturation Phase -
(4–12 weeks post treatment)
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New collagen fibres organize and align properly.
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Tissue structure becomes stronger and more resilient.
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Calcifications or scar tissue may break down further.
A closer look at how Radial and Focused Shockwave Therapy compare:
