Therapy
Shockwave Therapy (ESWT): How It Works and Who It Helps
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy delivers high-energy sound pulses into tendons and the plantar fascia. It's mainly used for long-standing tendon and heel pain that hasn't improved after several months of good exercise-based treatment. It can be uncomfortable, and it works best combined with a loading programme.
How shockwave works
A handpiece delivers rapid pulses through gel into the painful area. The exact mechanism isn't fully understood. Proposed effects include reducing pain sensitivity, stimulating a healing response in chronic tendon tissue and helping break up calcium deposits in calcific tendinitis.
Sessions take a few minutes and are usually given weekly for three to five weeks.
Where the evidence is strongest
There's reasonable evidence for chronic plantar fasciitis, calcific tendinitis of the shoulder, and some support for tennis elbow, Achilles and patellar tendinopathy, and gluteal tendon pain. It's a second-line option. We'd expect you to have tried a well-structured exercise programme for at least three months first.
Who shouldn't have it
Shockwave isn't used during pregnancy, over growth plates in children, over active cancer or infection, in people on blood thinners or with bleeding disorders without medical approval, or within weeks of a steroid injection into the same area.
Please confirm with the clinic whether shockwave therapy is currently offered before booking specifically for it.
Medical note
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Treatment is planned after an in-person assessment by a physiotherapist, and we refer you to a doctor where symptoms need medical review first. If you have sudden weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, chest pain or severe unexplained pain, seek emergency care.
Frequently asked questions
Is shockwave painful?
How quickly does it work?
Do I still need exercises?
Related treatments
Plantar Fasciitis
Heel pain with the first steps in the morning. Load, calf strength and footwear make the difference.
Learn more HandTennis Elbow
Outer elbow pain from gripping and lifting. Most sufferers have never held a racquet.
Learn more KneePatellar Tendonitis
Jumper's knee: pain just below the kneecap with jumping and squatting. Progressive tendon loading is the proven fix.
Learn moreReady to feel better?
Book an assessment at our Indirapuram clinic or ask for a home visit. Call +91-9999973681 or send a WhatsApp message and we will confirm your slot.