Written by Dr. Eric Wood, ND, MA
Shockwave therapy (SWT) uses short, intense, pressure waves as a non-invasive way to promote circulation and speed the body’s natural healing process. There are two kinds of shockwave therapy: focused and radial. In both forms, shockwaves move through tissue, first causing compression, then negative pressure within the tissue. These micro-injuries trigger the body’s trauma response to start healing. This therapy has been used for years to break up kidney stones and treat orthopedic injuries. Shockwave Therapy machines now deliver treatment for a variety of conditions, including erectile dysfunction (ED). For those who have been through first-line treatments without relief or resolution and prefer a non-invasive approach, SWT is up to 80 percent effective in relieving symptoms.
Focused shockwave therapy utilizes waves made through a crystal cone that narrowly focuses the energy field once an electrical current is applied. The high energy pressure wave that’s created can move through skin, deeply penetrating tissue in a localized area. Not only can a very specific area be treated with focused shockwaves, but the tissue depth can also be adjusted for maximum individual benefit. This accuracy makes focused shockwave therapy very effective for deep-tissue healing.
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Radial shockwave therapy uses a lower level of energy and slower, less intense soundwaves than focused shockwave therapy. A shockwave therapy machine uses compressed air through a wand to quickly accelerate and decelerate a projectile, delivering a series of small shocks via soundwaves through the skin to a damaged area. The waves have the most amount of energy at the tip of the applicator, which transmits the waves to the skin in a diffused, radial pattern. The deeper the wave goes into the tissue, the weaker it gets, making this treatment best for conditions near the skin’s surface. Radial shockwave therapy is generally administered with a hand-held applicator and is usually less expensive than focused shockwave therapy.
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Shockwave therapy for ED differs from other current treatments in that it is aimed at restoring the mechanism that enables spontaneous erections. Oral medications or injected vasodilators don’t alter the underlying condition. These are taken on demand, and only work for a short amount of time. Therefore, shockwave therapy is often a great option for patients who do not respond to or tolerate medication or who don’t want to undergo invasive treatments. Another benefit is that the results last. The low-intensity radial shockwaves are administered through a handheld wand that is moved around the penis. It emits gentle pulses that stimulate the growth of new blood vessels, which improves blood flow in the penis. Rather than just treating symptoms on demand, this regenerative therapy reverses some of the causes of ED.
Joint pain can be caused by any number of injuries or conditions, and can be accompanied by swelling, tenderness, and other signs of inflammation. It can limit mobility, and the ability to accomplish daily activities, and negatively impact quality of life. A common cause of joint pain is bursitis, which is swelling and irritation of the fluid-filled bursa sac that normally acts as a cushion between muscles, tendons, and bones. Often occurring in the shoulder, knee, elbow, hip, Achilles tendon, and foot, bursitis is usually an overuse injury. Plantar fasciitis is another common cause of pain, with more than 2 million people treated for it every year. This condition arises when the band of tissue that supports the arch of the foot is irritated and inflamed, causing pain and impaired mobility.
Shockwave therapy breaks up soft tissue calcifications, encourages the production of collagen, releases growth factors, and stimulates your body’s natural healing process to reduce pain in and around the joints.
For athletes who have injuries that are not resolved with ice, rest, physical therapy, bracing, and orthotics, and who don’t want to move straight to invasive treatments, radial shockwave therapy can get them back into action quickly. More invasive approaches have higher risk and more recovery time than shockwave therapy, which is typically administered in a weekly 30-minute or less session for three weeks. Since the targeted areas are often near the skin, radial pressure waves provide good results for sports injuries including:
Painful chronic stress fractures are usually caused by overuse and/or overload, with bones not fully healing while activities are continued. This can be immobilizing, which many people just can’t accommodate, which doesn’t allow for proper healing. Focused shockwave treatments stimulate bone turnover, osteoblast stimulation, and blood vessel regeneration, allowing people to return to everyday activities without reinjury and long downtimes associated with more invasive treatment options.
Chronic tendinopathy refers to long-term tendon inflammation and damage, often seen in athletes and usually due to overuse. More than 20 million Americans have some form of tendinopathy. Increased blood flow, collagen production, and proliferation of tenocyte cells that contribute to the repair and support of healthy tendons, along with minimal downtime, make shockwave treatment popular for tendon injuries. Since tendons respond well to exercise, and shockwave therapy allows patients to perform these exercises with less pain shortly after treatment, a combination of shockwave therapy and rehab exercises has shown some of the best clinical outcomes for tendon regeneration.
Frozen shoulder causes pain, decreased range of motion, and shoulder joint capsule fibrosis. Because it causes sleep disturbances and limits daily activities, solutions that will restore the shoulder but not require painful surgical intervention with potentially long recovery times are popular treatment options. Since shockwave therapy accelerates the healing process using the body’s responses, costs less than surgical intervention, and has few to no side effects, it is a safe and effective treatment for frozen shoulder.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, occurring when the cartilage cushioning the ends of the bones wears down over time. It is a degenerative condition and there is no cure. However, shockwave therapy can reduce pain and improve function by accelerating the body's healing process through acoustic pressure waves that stimulate the regeneration of healthy cartilage, subchondral bone, and surrounding tissues.
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Yes, shockwave therapy is known to be extremely safe. Minor side effects, such as mild swelling, bruising, or aches, may be experienced for a few days after the procedure, but these are minor and well-tolerated. Major side effects are extremely rare.
Generally, in-office shockwave therapy costs between $400 and $500 per session. You can also purchase a shockwave therapy machine for home use, ranging in cost from a small $800 handheld model for focused therapy to up to $600 for a professional-level shockwave therapy machine.
Yes! There are many different conditions and parts of the body that can be treated using shockwave therapy at home, including:
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The term Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy means it’s used above the surface of the skin, and it’s used interchangeably with Shockwave Therapy.
It depends on what condition is being treated. For ED, most people will see results within 1 to 3 months, with potentially dramatic initial results in the first several weeks. For musculoskeletal issues, some people report a noticeable improvement soon after treatment. The results continue to improve over time, with the greatest degree of relief and healing occurring in the 8 to 12-week range.
Through triggering the body’s healing response, shockwave therapy has been shown to reduce pain, increase blood flow, and promote healthy systems. From treatment for ED to healing bones and soft tissues, this non-invasive therapy with few to no side effects is gaining notoriety and popularity. For clinicians wanting to expand their patient offerings, or for home users who find it more economical to purchase a Shockwave Therapy machine than pay out-of-pocket for multiple treatments, there are multiple options available in our catalog. Visit Caregiver University for more information including buyer’s guides and product reviews.
Dr. Wood is a licensed naturopathic doctor in Washington D.C. and founder of Visionary Health. A graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Dr. Wood is a professor at John Patrick University in the Integrative and Functional Medicine Department as well as an adjunct professor at the American College of Healthcare Sciences in Holistic Nutrition. He began his career as a specialty physician for two leading supplement US companies, Neuroscience Inc. and Life Extension. Over his fifteen-year career in integrative and holistic medicine, he has worked in diverse capacities including as an educator; writer; medical advisor, consultant and formulator for supplement companies and treatment centers in the US and the EU; public speaker; and clinician. He has long been a practicing advocate of lifestyle medicine, fitness and mind body medicine approaches initially spurred by aging family members not getting help from traditional medicine and is passionate about innovating and bringing natural and integrative medicine to the masses!
