For patients weighing whether to move forward with surgery or steroid injections, shockwave therapy is worth understanding as a non-surgical option that’s often tried earlier in the treatment process.
Why Patients Look for Alternatives First
Surgery carries recovery time, risk, and cost, and repeated steroid injections come with their own limitations, including a cap on how often they can safely be used in the same area. For chronic tendon and soft tissue conditions that haven’t responded to rest and physical therapy alone, shockwave therapy is often tried as a non-surgical option before more invasive steps.
How It Works
Shockwave therapy delivers acoustic pressure waves to the affected tissue, which may help stimulate blood flow and the body’s natural healing response in chronically irritated tendons and connective tissue. It’s most commonly used for conditions like plantar fasciitis, tendinitis, and other soft tissue injuries that have become chronic.
What the Research Suggests
Studies suggest shockwave therapy can lead to meaningful improvement for certain chronic tendon conditions, though results vary by condition and by patient. It’s generally viewed as a reasonable option to try before surgery, though it isn’t a guaranteed alternative and doesn’t work for every case.
What a Treatment Course Involves
Shockwave therapy typically requires a series of sessions rather than a single treatment, spaced about a week apart. Sessions are generally well tolerated, with some mild soreness during and shortly after treatment being the most common and short-lived side effect. Individual results vary, and shockwave therapy is not guaranteed to eliminate the need for surgery or injections.
If you’re weighing your options before surgery or another round of steroid injections, our Brooklyn team at Pain Therapy Care can help you understand whether shockwave therapy makes sense to try first.
