Shockwave Therapy: A Scary “boo” for Stubborn Spots

Dr Debra Foxfern
Oct 22
5 min read

I’m thrilled to announce a spine-tingling new treatment now available in the office—just in time for Halloween!

So read on, dear readers; or risk being haunted by the ghost of pain unhealed. OooooOOOOoooohhh……

these are the ghosts of pain unhealed....

If you’ve ever wrestled with a stubborn tendon, an aching elbow, or a nerve that just won’t quiet down, the unconscious void may be haunting you with two words: shockwave therapy.

Now, before you picture bolts of lightning, wild-haired scientists, or anything straight out of Nosferatu, let’s set the record straight. This isn’t electric shock therapy from old horror films. In fact, there’s no electricity involved at all.

What it is, though, might just awaken your body's healing powers from the inside out. All treats, no tricks!

What Is Shockwave Therapy?

Plantar fasciitis, trigger points and knee pain

Picture this: a wand-like device gliding over your skin, emitting pulses of acoustic energy— rhythmic vibrations that stir something deep in your tissue. There are no incisions and no needles. Instead focused sound waves summon your body's own regenerative forces back to life.

Formally called extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), this technique is used to treat injuries that have overstayed their welcome—like tennis elbow, radiculopathies, and chronic tendinopathies. Lesser known yet powerful uses include pelvic floor pains and cellulite! It sends controlled sound waves into areas where blood flow has slowed, tissues have stiffened, and healing has seemingly given up the ghost. It’s even safe to use around metal surgical implants—those cold, gleaming bits of hardware that might make even a zombie flinch.

Things that go Crack and Bump in the Night

Does Shockwave replace chiropractic care? No, and here’s why.

Timing and scope of care differ for each. Chiropractic care has long held the reputation of aligning joints with immediate and long-term results. But even when the spine is aligned and the nervous system is humming...some injuries resist release! A tight hamstring haunted by tendinopathy, a shoulder stiff with scar tissue, or a nerve that’s turned to stone may require more than an adjustment to come back to life.

That’s where shockwave’s acoustic therapy comes in: not as a replacement, but as a powerful companion. With up to sixteen visits max per body part, it is a turbo charger for healing whose timeline lasts as long as that pillow case of candies should last under the bed.

Together they form a kind of supernatural duo—one aligning the bones and nervous system; the other awakening the flesh and blood. For patients whose pain lingers like a phantom despite excellent posture and spinal alignment, this combination may be the key to finally breaking the cycle.

How Does It Work?

Shockwave therapy was first conjured in 1960s Germany - not in Frankenstein's castle - but in a lab where scientists were investigating how sound energy could be used to shatter kidney stones.

By the 1990s, researchers discovered that these pulses of energy had other powers. When aimed at soft tissue, shockwaves could do much more than just break things apart—they could help rebuild.

Today, we know shockwave therapy can:

🩸 Increase blood flow to cold, stagnant tissue

💀 Break down calcified deposits in tendons and joints

🌱 Stimulate fibroblasts and osteoblasts—cells that rebuild soft tissue and bone

💫 Desensitize overactive nerves, quieting pain that’s lingered long past the initial injury

Think of it like casting a healing spell—not with incantations, but with physics.

Why Choose Shockwave?

The true magic of this treatment? It’s noninvasive, FDA-cleared, and takes about 15 minutes per session. No surgery. No long recovery time. No stitches. Most people walk in and out, feeling like something deep inside has stirred.

Shockwave therapy is often the next step when rest, physical therapy, or even injections have failed. Compared to the alternatives, it can be refreshingly straightforward:

🕯️ Steroid injections? Effective short-term, but may weaken bones and soft tissue over time.

🕯️ PRP and stem cell therapies? Promising, but often expensive and not always covered by insurance.

🕯️ Dry needling? Great for muscle knots, but it won’t do much for damaged tendons or nerve pain.

Shockwave therapy offers a middle path between doing nothing and going under the knife—a way to breathe life into joints and tissues that feel cursed.

Side Effects: Mild and Mysterious

Most people describe the sensation as odd but tolerable—like being tapped or flicked from inside. Afterward, you might notice some tenderness, a bit of swelling, or a bruise. But nothing serious, nothing sinister.

When administered by a trained clinician, the energy is targeted precisely where it's needed—leaving only the low hum of your body's repair crew getting back to work.

When to Avoid It

Shockwave therapy isn’t for everyone. It should never be used:

On fresh tears or acute injuries
Over malignant tumors
Near the womb during pregnancy
If you have certain blood clotting disorders
On areas affected by psoriasis or skin infections
Over electrical implants

If your pain is recent and intense, or if surgery is clearly indicated, your provider may recommend a different path. But if your discomfort has lingered—chronic, cold, and spectral—shockwave might be just the resurrection you need.

The Final Word?

Despite its name, shockwave therapy isn’t dramatic. It’s not a jolt, not a zap, not a horror story in a lab. It’s a simple revival and a way for the body to recall its own blueprint for healing. There are no incantations or reanimation rituals.

It's just the eerie, elegant beauty of modern science tuning the body back to life. And that, dear reader, might be the most enchanting magic of all.