High-energy acoustic waves break down calcifications, stimulate collagen production, and trigger repair in chronically injured tendons — where other treatments have failed.
How It Works
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Focused shockwave therapy uses high-energy acoustic pressure waves to target chronic musculoskeletal conditions that have resisted conventional treatment. The waves penetrate deep into affected tissue, breaking down calcifications, stimulating collagen production, and triggering the body's own repair mechanisms in areas that have become metabolically dormant from chronic injury or poor blood supply.
At Move to Motion, we use focused shockwave — the more precise, evidence-based form of the technology used in clinical research — which concentrates energy at a specific depth rather than radiating it broadly. This allows for targeted treatment of the exact structure causing your pain, with fewer sessions required and more durable outcomes.
The Evidence
A Cochrane review of 18 trials confirmed focused shockwave therapy as significantly more effective than placebo and corticosteroid injection for chronic plantar fasciitis at 12-week follow-up, with effects maintained at 12 months. It is now the recommended second-line conservative intervention in most clinical guidelines.
Multiple RCTs have demonstrated that focused shockwave dissolves calcium deposits in 70–80% of treated patients, with superior pain and function outcomes compared to ultrasound-guided needling, physiotherapy alone, and surgery in many studies.
A 2011 RCT in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that combining eccentric loading with shockwave therapy significantly outperformed eccentric loading alone for mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy at 4-month follow-up, with effects sustained at 1 year.
Research in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found shockwave therapy reduced pain and improved VISA-P scores in competitive athletes with chronic patellar tendinopathy, enabling return to sport in 77% of cases where conservative physiotherapy had failed.
What to Expect
Each shockwave session takes approximately 15–20 minutes. The area is located with ultrasound or palpation, coupling gel is applied, and the shockwave applicator is positioned against the skin. You will feel a firm pressure and a series of rapid pulse sensations — often described as a deep tapping or vibration. Some temporary discomfort over the affected tendon is expected and is a sign the treatment is reaching the target tissue.
Most patients require 3–5 sessions, spaced one week apart. Improvement often begins after the second session, though full results typically develop over 6–12 weeks as the stimulated repair processes complete. We do not recommend heavy loading of the treated area in the 48 hours following each session.
Shockwave therapy is not suitable for patients on anticoagulant therapy, with open wounds or active infection at the treatment site, with cancer near the treatment area, during pregnancy, or in children with open growth plates. Your physiotherapist will assess your suitability at your initial appointment.
Most patients see results within 3 sessions. No referral needed — book directly.