Why Shockwave Therapy Might Be the Most Badass Tool in Sports Medicine
By Coach Johnny B (Ms, CFL3, LMT)
If you have been treated by one of the sports medicine staff at ASR, you have experienced the delightful deep ache created by the tick tick tick from one of our shockwave machines. If you haven’t ever had shockwave therapy and are in pain, you are missing out.
I am a massive fan of these machines. They are non-invasive, highly effective, and you can actually FEEL the difference it makes.
I got into Shockwave during an outpatient ortho internship in 2018. At this point, the tech was very new, and no one I knew (not even at the pro level) had ever used one of the machines. However, for some reason, this small clinic in Tucker had one (they had illegally ordered it on Alibaba), and they were achieving much better outcomes treating plantar fasciitis and tendon issues using it.
I went full nerd out on the technology. I read everything I could, called a company in Germany to understand how the science worked, and even played around with the Tucker clinics device when I was supposed to be cleaning tables.
So today I wanted to share what I learned about Shockwave and why it is so damn badass at helping injuries heal faster.
#1. The Two Types of Shockwave Machines (we have both).
Focal shockwave (the PiezoWave) and the radial pressure wave (RPW2).
The key differences are that the focal shockwave is used for deep, pinpointed therapy with high peak pressures. In contrast, the radial shockwave is used for surface-level, diffuse treatment with lower energy.
#2. How Shockwave Works Biologically
Shockwave creates intense pressure by focusing energy deep into the tissues. The shockwave creates a rapid pressure rise within the cells of your tissue, which, in focal shockwave therapy, stimulates microtrauma that triggers biological processes such as growth factor release, bone remodeling, angiogenesis, and collagen synthesis (i.e., your body produces new tissues). As a response to a radial shockwave, the body improves circulation, reduces muscle tone (i.e., muscles loosen up), and stimulates superficial tissue healing.
#3 What Shockwave Fixes
Focal Shockwave (PiezoWave) treats deep tendinopathies (Achilles, proximal hamstring), non-union fractures, stress fractures, and calcified shoulder tendinopathy (frozen shoulder), as well as plantar fasciitis resistant to other treatments.
Radial Shockwave (RPW2) treats myofascial (muscle and fascia) pain and trigger points, as well as medial and lateral epicondylitis (tennis and golfers’ elbow) when superficial, patellar tendon pain in athletes, and muscle soreness.
Pretty rad, right? We can use high-pressure waves to help things heal at a faster rate than you would just waiting for Mother Nature to do its thing.
The best part is that at ASR, we incorporate shockwave therapy into your treatment plan. Most other providers charge extra or only sell it in packages. I think that’s BS. You shouldn’t have to pay extra to get better.
Bottom line is if you are struggling with chronic tendon, muscle, or fascia pain, as well as a broken bone or stress fracture, you need some shockwave.
