What is shockwave therapy?
Despite the name, shockwave therapy does not send an electrical shock through your body. It is a mechanical treatment. A handpiece sends rapid pressure pulses through the skin and into the tissue underneath.
Shockwave has been used in orthopedic and sports-medicine settings for many years. It is most commonly studied for problems involving tendons, fascia and tendon attachment sites.
How can a mechanical pulse affect tissue?
Cells respond to physical forces. The process of turning a mechanical stimulus into a biological signal is called mechanotransduction.
The goal is not simply to “beat up” the tissue or break apart scar tissue. The biology appears to be more complicated than that. An appropriate mechanical dose may stimulate useful adaptation; excessive treatment can simply irritate tissue.
What kinds of problems is shockwave used for?
The strongest and most common applications are chronic musculoskeletal problems, especially tendons and fascia.
Plantar fasciitis
Persistent heel pain is one of the most extensively studied uses of shockwave therapy, including studies specifically using radial shockwave.
Tennis elbow
Shockwave has been studied for chronic lateral elbow tendinopathy. Results are mixed across studies, but some trials show improvements in pain and grip strength.
Achilles tendinopathy
Shockwave is often used alongside progressive loading and rehabilitation for stubborn Achilles tendon pain. The research is mixed and appears to depend heavily on the protocol and patient.
Patellar tendinopathy
Shockwave has been investigated for jumper's knee and chronic patellar tendon pain, usually as an addition to an exercise-based tendon program.
Calcific shoulder tendinopathy
Shockwave has a substantial research history for painful calcium deposits in rotator-cuff tendons. Much of the strongest evidence here involves focused shockwave.
Other chronic tendon pain
Research also includes gluteal, hamstring and other tendinopathies, although the strength of evidence varies by location and condition.
What does the research show?
Shockwave research is not one giant yes-or-no answer. Some conditions have stronger evidence than others, and different studies use different devices and doses. Here are several useful examples.
This review compared shockwave with placebo in chronic plantar fasciitis and separately examined radial and focused treatment. Overall improvement rates favored shockwave therapy.
PubMedThis newer review focused specifically on radial shockwave therapy for plantar fasciitis and included randomized controlled trials comparing radial treatment with other physical-therapy modalities.
PubMedThis review compared shockwave with corticosteroid injections for plantar fasciitis and also evaluated radial versus focused approaches and different treatment intensities.
PubMedAcross the included randomized trials, pooled pain and grip-strength outcomes favored shockwave compared with other treatments. Individual study results and protocols varied.
PubMedThis review found some statistical improvement but concluded that the average benefit did not clearly reach a clinically important threshold. Radial treatment tended to perform better than focused treatment in the subgroup analysis. We include this study because the evidence is not uniformly positive.
PubMedThis review found the clearest benefit for plantar fasciitis. Evidence for Achilles and patellar tendinopathy was less convincing, which is another reason we view shockwave as one piece of a rehabilitation plan rather than a stand-alone cure.
PubMedShockwave performed better than sham treatment for pain and function. Higher-energy approaches tended to outperform lower-energy treatment in some comparisons. The certainty of evidence varied.
PubMedA recent review comparing the two technologies found no clear overall winner for pain or function because much of the evidence was low certainty. Both approaches appeared similarly safe.
PubMedThis review looked beyond pain scores and examined what happens inside tendon tissue. Reported effects included changes in new blood-vessel formation, tendon-cell activity, extracellular matrix, inflammatory signaling and tissue remodeling. It also emphasized that dose matters.
Read full textWhat shockwave is—and what it is not
Shockwave is
A non-invasive mechanical treatment.
A way to stimulate a painful or chronically irritated tissue.
A therapy with meaningful research in several tendon and fascial conditions.
Often most useful alongside rehabilitation.
Shockwave is not
An electrical shock.
A surgical procedure.
Simply “breaking up scar tissue.”
A guarantee that every painful problem will respond.
Common questions
Does it hurt?
You will feel the pressure pulses, and chronically irritated areas can be sensitive. Treatment intensity is adjustable. The goal is an appropriate therapeutic dose—not simply making the treatment as painful as possible.
Can I be sore afterward?
Yes. Mild temporary soreness can occur because the treatment is a mechanical stimulus. The response varies with treatment intensity, tissue condition and individual sensitivity.
Does shockwave break up scar tissue?
That is a common shorthand explanation, but it is probably too simple. Research suggests effects on cellular signaling, circulation, extracellular matrix, tendon cells and pain processing rather than merely physically smashing scar tissue.
Does shockwave create inflammation?
It can affect inflammatory signaling, but simply saying it “creates inflammation” misses much of the biology. The response appears to involve a broader repair and remodeling process.
How many treatments will I need?
There is no universal number. Research protocols vary by condition, treatment intensity, number of pulses and treatment interval. We adjust treatment according to the tissue, your response and the rest of your rehabilitation plan.
Is shockwave enough by itself?
Sometimes it can make a substantial difference in symptoms, but chronic tendon and fascia problems often respond best when the treatment is combined with appropriate movement, loading and correction of the reason the area is repeatedly being stressed.
Our approach at Morter Wellness
Shockwave is a tool, not the whole treatment plan. We use it when a stubborn tissue appears to need a stronger biological and mechanical stimulus—but we still want to understand why that tissue became overloaded in the first place.
That may mean combining shockwave with strength work, tendon loading, foot or gait rehabilitation, mobility work or other treatment depending on the problem.
Medical note: This page is for patient education and is not a promise of individual results. Shockwave studies use different devices, treatment energies, pulse counts, schedules and patient populations. Results from one protocol should not automatically be assumed to apply to every condition or every patient. Treatment should be individualized after appropriate evaluation and screening.
Research page updated August 20, 2026.