Services
Shockwave therapy
Reviewed by Dr Voula Roumel, Chiropractor , registered since 1987, AHPRA CHI0000942872
Last updated
Shockwave therapy delivers rapid acoustic pulses through a handpiece into a specific area of tissue. It is used here for long-standing tendon and fascia presentations, the slow-responding ones that have not settled with hands-on treatment and loading work alone.
That last clause matters. It is not a first-line treatment and it is not offered to everyone. Most presentations that come through this clinic never need it.
What it is used for
- Long-standing tendon presentations that have plateaued
- Fascia irritation, most commonly plantar fasciitis that has not responded to loading work
- Calcific deposits within a tendon
- Persistent muscular tension in a defined area
- Slow-healing bone presentations, where it is used as an adjunct
What a session involves
Gel is applied over the area and the handpiece is worked across it for several minutes. You will feel a rapid tapping, firm and somewhat uncomfortable over the tender spot, most people find it tolerable rather than painful, and intensity is adjusted during the session from what you report.
It is a course rather than a single treatment, typically spaced about a week apart. The response builds over the following weeks rather than appearing immediately, which is worth knowing so that a lack of instant change is not mistaken for failure.
Some soreness for a day or two afterwards is normal.
Who it is not for
The chiropractor screens before offering it. It is not used:
- Over an active infection, a tumour, or an open wound
- Over growth plates in children
- For anyone taking blood thinners or with a bleeding or clotting disorder
- In pregnancy, over the relevant regions
Tell the chiropractor about your health history and any medication you take. That conversation happens before shockwave is offered, not after.
Why it is not the whole treatment
Shockwave is a stimulus applied to tissue. What determines whether that tissue can then handle what you ask of it is the loading programme, and a tendon treated with shockwave and then returned unchanged to the load that irritated it will irritate again.
So it is used alongside:
- Rehabilitation exercises, which do the durable work
- Massage therapy for the surrounding musculature
- Chiropractic adjustment where restriction elsewhere is contributing to the load
- A conversation about what to modify, training volume, footwear, standing hours, for the period it takes to settle
If there has been no change at all by the point the chiropractor expected one, that is a reason to reassess rather than book more sessions. Where a different kind of care is the next step, you will get a detailed letter outlining the findings and recommendations, including the specialist we believe is best suited to your needs.
Frequently asked questions
What does it feel like?
A rapid tapping against the skin, firm and a little uncomfortable over the tender area, most people describe it as tolerable rather than painful. Intensity is adjusted during the session from what you report, so tell the chiropractor if it is too much. Some soreness for a day or two afterwards is normal and expected.
How many sessions does it take?
It is a course rather than a single treatment, typically spaced about a week apart, and the response builds over the weeks that follow rather than showing up immediately. The chiropractor will tell you after the assessment how many they expect. If there is no change at all by the point they expected one, that is a reason to reassess rather than continue.
Why not just start with shockwave?
Because most presentations do not need it. It is used where a slower-responding tissue has not settled with hands-on treatment and loading work, which is a specific situation, not a first move. Starting with it would mean using it on people who would have improved without it.
Who should not have it?
It is not used over an active infection, a tumour, an open wound, or growth plates in children, and not for anyone on blood thinners or with a bleeding disorder. Pregnancy rules it out over the relevant regions. Tell the chiropractor about your health history and any medication, that screen happens before it is offered.
Do I still need to do the exercises?
Yes, and this is the part people most want to skip. Shockwave is a stimulus to the tissue; the loading programme is what builds its capacity to handle what you are asking of it. A tendon treated with shockwave and then returned to the same load that irritated it will irritate again.
Ready to book?
Appointments Monday to Saturday, with confirmation by SMS.