Shockwave therapy at Advanced Health Chiropractic

Shockwave therapy, also called extracorporeal shockwave therapy or ESWT, is a non-invasive treatment that sends rapid acoustic pressure waves through the skin into injured or slow-healing tissue. The aim is to prompt the body's own repair process in places that have stopped making progress on their own, most often tendons and the plantar fascia on the bottom of the foot.

If you're looking for shockwave therapy in Chicago, our South Loop clinic offers it on its own and as one part of the Knee Restoration Program and the Shoulder Strong Program. Your doctor decides at your exam whether it belongs in your plan.

What shockwave therapy is, and what it isn't

It is radial shockwave. Our device is a radial shockwave unit, sometimes called ballistic shockwave. A handheld applicator delivers pressure waves that spread through a broad area of tissue, which suits tendons, fascia, and areas of chronic strain.

It is not focused shockwave. Focused shockwave is a different kind of device that concentrates its energy at a narrower point. If you're comparing clinics in Chicago, ask which type they use. The answer tells you what a session will be like.

It is not surgery, an injection, or a medication. There are no needles, no incisions, and no anesthesia. It is also not a stand-alone answer for every kind of pain. We use it alongside hands-on care, physical therapy, and the rest of your plan, because tissue that heals still needs to move and carry load well.

Shockwave therapy in Chicago's South Loop

We're at 1147 S. Wabash Ave. #250B, above the Trader Joe's, close to Printers Row and the Museum Campus. A shockwave session takes about 10 to 15 minutes, so it fits around a workday in the Loop or a commute through downtown Chicago.

If you run the Lakefront Trail, you may know how heel and Achilles pain tends to show up just as mileage climbs, including in the build toward the Chicago Marathon each fall. Plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendon pain are two of the problems shockwave therapy is most often used for, and our post on how to stop plantar fasciitis before it starts covers what you can do between visits.

If stubborn tendon or heel pain has you wondering whether shockwave could help, the first step is an exam. Book your new patient exam online or call (312) 987-4878. Same-day and same-week appointments are usually available.

The handheld applicator is placed on the skin over the treatment area with a layer of gel. It delivers rapid acoustic pressure waves in a systematic pattern, and those waves travel through the skin into the muscle, tendon, and connective tissue underneath. With a radial device the waves are strongest near the skin and spread out as they travel, which is why radial shockwave is generally used for tendons and fascia that sit fairly close to the surface, such as the plantar fascia, the Achilles tendon, the elbow tendons, and the patellar tendon below the kneecap.

Where the waves meet irritated or slow-healing tissue, they create a controlled mechanical stimulus. That stimulus is thought to help increase local blood flow and calm chronic inflammation. This matters most in tendons, which get relatively little blood supply and tend to heal slowly. In plain terms, the goal is to give stubborn tissue a better environment to recover in, rather than just masking the symptom.

The effects build over a course of sessions rather than in a single visit, which is why shockwave is scheduled as a series and paired with exercise and hands-on care.

At Advanced Health, shockwave therapy is most often considered for:

• Plantar fasciitis and heel pain: chronic heel and arch pain that hasn't settled with stretching, rest, or orthotics
• Achilles tendon pain: common in runners and in people who are on their feet all day
• Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow: tendon pain on the outside or inside of the elbow, often from repetitive gripping, typing, or racquet sports
• Rotator cuff and shoulder tendon irritation, including calcific tendinitis, often within the Shoulder Strong Program
• Tendon-related knee pain, such as patellar tendon trouble and chronic strain around the joint, often within the Knee Restoration Program
• Muscle strains and lingering sports injuries that keep limiting your range of motion
• Patients who want to try conservative care first, before injections or surgery are back on the table

Shockwave is used mainly for tendons and soft tissue in the arms and legs. For back and neck pain, care usually centers on chiropractic care, spinal decompression, physical therapy, and soft tissue therapy. In some chronic cases we also use shockwave on the soft tissue around the spine, and your doctor will tell you at your exam whether it has a role in your plan.

Shockwave isn't right for every condition or every patient. Your doctor will tell you at your exam whether it fits.

You'll be seated or lying down, depending on the area being treated, and gel is applied over the target tissue. The applicator is placed against the skin and the pressure waves are delivered in a controlled pattern across the whole area. A session runs about 10 to 15 minutes.

Most patients describe the sensation as a rapid tapping or pulsing that ranges from mildly uncomfortable to barely noticeable, depending on how irritated the tissue is. Your provider adjusts the intensity based on your feedback. Areas with active irritation may feel more sensitive at first, and that often eases as a course of care goes on.

Most patients go straight back to their day afterward. Some notice mild redness or warmth at the treatment site, which usually settles within a few hours, and some feel a little tender in the area. Shockwave is often delivered in the same visit as the rest of your program, for example alongside knee decompression, red light therapy, or your adjustment.

Shockwave therapy tends to work gradually. Many patients notice changes such as easier movement, less morning heel pain, or a lower intensity of tendon pain as their course of care progresses. How quickly that happens varies with the tissue involved, how long the problem has been present, and what else is in the plan.

On its own, shockwave is delivered as a series of sessions. Inside the Knee Restoration or Shoulder Strong programs, it's combined with other treatments chosen to work together. Either way, your first visit is an exam, and at your second visit your doctor goes over the findings and recommends a plan, including whether shockwave belongs in it and how many sessions make sense for you.

This is general information, not medical advice. Book an exam for a diagnosis specific to you.

Is shockwave therapy painful?

Most patients describe it as mildly uncomfortable in the treatment area, not painful. You'll feel a tapping or pulsing sensation as the waves are delivered. Areas of active irritation may be more sensitive at first. No anesthesia is needed, and the intensity is adjusted to your comfort level throughout the session.

How many shockwave sessions will I need?

It depends on your condition, how long it has been going on, and your goals. Your doctor recommends a course after your exam and adjusts it based on how you respond. When shockwave is part of the Knee Restoration or Shoulder Strong programs, it follows that program's plan.

What conditions does shockwave therapy help with?

Shockwave therapy may help with plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendon pain, tennis and golfer's elbow, rotator cuff and shoulder tendon irritation, tendon-related knee pain, and lingering soft-tissue injuries. It's often considered for stubborn problems that haven't responded to rest, stretching, or other care.

Can shockwave therapy help plantar fasciitis?

It may. Plantar fasciitis is one of the problems shockwave therapy is most often used for, because the plantar fascia sits close to the surface and tends to heal slowly. At our clinic it's paired with work on how your foot, ankle, and calf move and carry load, so the heel isn't simply irritated again once you're back on your feet.

Is your shockwave therapy radial or focused?

Radial. Our device is a radial shockwave unit, which spreads its pressure waves across a broader area of tissue. Focused shockwave is a different kind of device. If you've been reading about focused shockwave, ask at your exam and we'll explain plainly how the two differ for your case.

Can shockwave therapy help back pain?

Sometimes. Shockwave is used mainly for tendons and soft tissue in the arms and legs. For most back pain, care centers on adjustments, spinal decompression, physical therapy, and soft tissue therapy. For chronic injuries, we may also use shockwave on the soft tissue around the spine. Your doctor will tell you at your exam whether it has a role in your plan.

Why get shockwave therapy at a chiropractor's office?

Because the exam comes first. We look at what is driving the pain, whether shockwave fits at all, and what else the area needs, such as adjustments, soft tissue work, or rehab exercise. Shockwave on its own is not designed to change how a joint moves or how a tendon handles load.

Does insurance cover shockwave therapy?

Usually not. Most insurance carriers treat shockwave therapy as an out-of-pocket service. We'll go over the cost with you before you start, so there are no surprises. Financing through CareCredit and in-house payment plans is available for shockwave, as it is for all of our care plans and services.

Is there any downtime after a session?

Most patients go straight back to work or their normal day. Some notice mild redness, warmth, or tenderness at the treatment site. Your provider will give you simple aftercare guidance.

How do I get started?

Book your new patient exam online or call (312) 987-4878. Same-day and same-week appointments are usually available. Your exam determines whether shockwave therapy belongs in your plan.