Your body responds to these focused micro-trauma impulses by mounting a robust healing response involving the recruitment of growth factors, plateletts and stem cells.   There is a large and growing body of evidence (see links below) that this is the premier modality in the treatment of difficult tendon injuries such as:

• Plantar Fasciitis
• Elbow tendon (golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow, medial epicondylitis, lateral epicondylitis)
• Infrapatellar tendonitis (Jumper’s knee)

Additional research has generated positive outcomes for knee osteoarthritis, kidney stones and even for those who suffer from erectile dysfunction!  (At SMNW, we will stick to the sports medicine applications of Shockwave therapy.)

Our physicians here at SMNW have reguarded extracorporial radial shockwave therapy as a strong resource in difficult tendon presentations for years but have had difficulty locating referral locations for shockwave in Seattle.  We are very happy to bring this powerful resource in-house and look forward to getting you relief and results soon.

FAQ:

• Does shockwave therapy hurt?
  • The deep vibration sensation can be uncomfortable over some locations but treatments never exceed a “6 on the scale of 0-10” in discomfort.
• Is there a required “down time” to recover from the session?
  • No down time is required from the therapy.  Your clinician may advise progressive return to play steps to optimize the success of the therapy though.
• How many sessions does a shockwave therapy treatment take?
  • The duration of a shockwave therapy treatment plan is determined by clinical findings but the typical range to is 6-10 sessions and most people experience an immediate improvement in pain and even range of motion after their initial session.

• Is this covered by my insurance?
  • It is not.  Costs range from $125 to $150 per session but SMNW has a promotion through July where the 6 session series is $500 total (down from $750).
• Are there risks and side effects involved?
  • The Radial style of extracorporeal shockwave therapy at SMNW is quite safe with side effects limited to short-term local discomfort.
• My feet and elbows are killing me!!!  When can I get in for this???
  • Click the link below.  We might be able to get you in sometime next week!

REQUEST A SHOCKWAVE APPOINTMENT

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Research Links

• • • A systematic review of shockwave therapies in soft tissue conditions: focusing on the evidence (Br J Sports Med. 2014;48(21):1538–42.)
    • Clinical application of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in orthopedics: focused versus unfocused shock waves (Ultrasound Med Biol. 2012;38(10):1673–80.)
    • The effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwave therapy in common lower limb conditions. (Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):387–407.)
    • High-energy versus low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy for calcifying tendinitis of the shoulder: which is superior? (Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2014;472(9):2816–25.)
    • The effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy on chronic achilles tendinopathy: a systematic review. (Foot Ankle Int. 2013;34(1):33–41.)
    • The effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in lower limb tendinopathy: a systematic review. (Am J Sports Med. 2015;43(3):752–61)
    • Clinical efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave therapy for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review. (Clin Rehabil. 2019;33(9):1419–30.)
    • Effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy without local anesthesia in patients with recalcitrant plantar fasciitis. (Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2017;96(8):529–34.)
    • The role of extracorporeal shockwave treatment in musculoskeletal disorders. (J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2018;100(3):251–63.)
    • Shockwave therapy differentially stimulates endothelial cells: implications on the control of inflammation (Inflammation. 2014;37(1):65–70.)
    • Effectiveness of radial shock-wave therapy for calcific tendinitis of the shoulder: single-blind, randomized clinical study. (Phys Ther. 2006;86(5):672–82.)
    • Extracorporeal shockwave therapy in calcifying tendinitis of the shoulder (Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2011;19(12):2085–9.)
    • Effectiveness and Safety of Shockwave Therapy in Tendinopathies (Mater Sociomed . 2018 Jun;30(2):131-146. doi: 10.5455/msm.2018.30.141-146.)
    • Comparison of Radial Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy versus Ultrasound Therapy in the Treatment of Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy (Folia Med (Plovdiv) . 2019 Dec 31;61(4):612-619.)