Who it helps
Back pain, muscle pain, plantar fasciitis and knee pain that have not settled with rest and exercise, along with other stubborn tendon and soft-tissue problems: Achilles and patellar tendinopathy, tennis or golfer's elbow, calcific tendinopathy of the shoulder, and gluteal tendinopathy at the hip.
What happens
A nurse practitioner or physician applies gel and a handheld applicator to the painful area. The device sends focused acoustic pulses into the tissue for a few minutes; most people feel a tapping or aching sensation that eases when the session ends. No anesthesia or downtime is needed, and treatment is usually given as a short series of sessions about a week apart, alongside your exercise programme.
Who performs it
Focused shockwave at Precision Care is high-energy, so it is performed by a nurse practitioner and physician after an evaluation. They check whether shockwave fits your condition, explain the expected benefit and the limits, and plan it together with any exercise or therapy you are doing.
Watch: shockwave therapy
Two short clips from our YouTube channel @precisioncaremedical on how focused shockwave is used for pain.
Conditions we use it for
Back pain · Shoulder pain · Elbow, wrist & hand pain · Hip pain · Knee pain · Ankle & foot pain
Back pain
For back pain that has not settled with rest and exercise, focused shockwave can be used on the painful muscles and soft tissue around the spine when the evaluation supports it. It is part of a plan that also includes exercise. See lower back pain.
Muscle pain
Stubborn muscle pain and tender, tight areas that keep coming back with work, sport or daily activity can be treated with focused shockwave when the evaluation supports it, alongside stretching and strengthening.
Plantar fasciitis and heel pain
Heel pain that is worst with the first steps in the morning and has lasted for months despite stretching, supportive shoes and rest is one of the most common reasons we consider shockwave. It is used alongside calf and foot stretches and a gradual return to walking and running. See ankle and foot pain.
Achilles tendon pain
For pain and stiffness in the Achilles tendon, at the back of the heel or a few inches above it, shockwave is combined with a progressive calf-strengthening programme. Loading the tendon over time is still the core of treatment; shockwave is an add-on when progress stalls.
Tennis and golfer’s elbow
Pain on the outer elbow (tennis elbow) or inner elbow (golfer’s elbow) that keeps coming back with gripping, lifting or typing. Shockwave sits alongside forearm strengthening and activity changes. Read more in our article on tennis elbow and on elbow, wrist and hand pain.
Knee pain, including patellar tendon pain (jumper’s knee)
Focused shockwave is used for knee pain that has not settled with rest and exercise. A common example is pain just below the kneecap with jumping, squatting or stairs, common in basketball, volleyball and running. Shockwave is used with a staged strengthening plan for the quadriceps and hips. See knee pain.
Shoulder and hip tendon pain
Calcific tendinopathy of the shoulder and gluteal tendinopathy on the outside of the hip can also be treated with shockwave when the evaluation supports it. See shoulder pain and hip pain.
The nurse practitioner or physician checks for reasons shockwave may not be right for you, such as pregnancy or an infection in the area, before it is scheduled. Results vary from person to person.
Part of a plan
Every treatment here is one part of a plan that starts with an evaluation. Your clinician explains the expected benefit and the limits before anything is scheduled, and results vary from person to person.
Related treatments
Trigger Point Injections · Pain management · Manual Therapy & Medical Massage · Kinesiology (Kinesio) Taping
Shockwave therapy near you
Back pain, muscle pain, heel pain or knee pain that will not settle often brings people to a doctor after months of rest and stretching. Precision Care offers focused high-energy shockwave therapy, performed by a nurse practitioner and physician, at our Brooklyn office at 2781 Shell Rd, Suite 101, serving patients from Gravesend, Sheepshead Bay, Midwood, Coney Island, Brighton Beach and Bensonhurst. Request an appointment and we will check whether shockwave fits your plan.
Shockwave is offered only in Brooklyn. Patients on Staten Island or in Manhattan can be evaluated by the physician at our Staten Island office or our Midtown Manhattan office and referred to the Brooklyn office for shockwave.
Questions
Who is focused shockwave therapy for?
Back pain, muscle pain, plantar fasciitis and knee pain that have not settled with rest and exercise, along with other stubborn tendon and soft-tissue problems: Achilles and patellar tendinopathy, tennis or golfer's elbow, calcific tendinopathy of the shoulder, and gluteal tendinopathy at the hip.
What happens during focused shockwave therapy?
A nurse practitioner or physician applies gel and a handheld applicator to the painful area. The device sends focused acoustic pulses into the tissue for a few minutes; most people feel a tapping or aching sensation that eases when the session ends. No anesthesia or downtime is needed, and treatment is usually given as a short series of sessions about a week apart, alongside your exercise programme.
Who performs focused shockwave therapy?
Focused high-energy shockwave is performed by a nurse practitioner and physician at our Brooklyn office, after an evaluation.
Can shockwave therapy help back pain or muscle pain?
It can be one part of treatment. When the evaluation supports it, focused shockwave is used for back pain and stubborn muscle pain alongside exercise. Results vary from person to person.
What is the difference between focused and radial shockwave?
Focused shockwave concentrates the acoustic energy at a set depth in the tissue, which lets the nurse practitioner or physician target deeper structures such as a tendon insertion; radial shockwave spreads the energy near the surface. Precision Care uses a Chattanooga focused shockwave system.
Does shockwave therapy hurt?
Most people describe a tapping or aching sensation during the few minutes of treatment that eases when the session ends. No anesthesia is needed and you can return to normal activity the same day.
Which conditions is focused shockwave therapy used for at Precision Care?
At Precision Care it is used, when the evaluation supports it, for back pain, muscle pain, plantar fasciitis and knee pain, and also for shoulder pain; elbow, wrist and hand pain; hip pain; and ankle and foot pain.
Where can I get focused shockwave therapy in New York City?
At the Precision Care Brooklyn office, 2781 Shell Rd, Suite 101, (718) 648-1234. It is not offered at the Staten Island or Midtown Manhattan offices, but the physician there can evaluate you and refer you to Brooklyn.
Is it used on its own?
No. It is one part of a plan that starts with an evaluation. Your clinician explains the expected benefit and the limits, and results vary from person to person.
How do I find out if it is covered by my plan?
Call the office with your plan name before your visit and the front desk will check your benefits.
Is there shockwave therapy for plantar fasciitis near me?
Focused shockwave therapy for plantar fasciitis and heel pain is offered at Precision Care’s Brooklyn office. It is given as a short series of sessions alongside your exercise programme.
Is shockwave therapy a non-surgical option for tendon pain?
Yes. Focused shockwave therapy needs no anesthesia or downtime and is one of the non-surgical orthopedic care options we use for tendon and soft-tissue pain that has not settled with rest and exercise. Results vary from person to person.
Can shockwave therapy help Achilles tendon pain?
It can be one part of treatment. For Achilles tendon pain that has not settled with a calf-strengthening programme, focused shockwave is added to that programme, not used instead of it. It is offered at our Brooklyn office, and results vary from person to person.
Is shockwave therapy used for tennis elbow?
Yes, when the evaluation supports it. For tennis or golfer’s elbow that keeps coming back, focused shockwave is combined with forearm strengthening and activity changes at our Brooklyn office. Results vary from person to person.
General education, not a diagnosis or individual treatment plan. Results vary from person to person. For a medical emergency, call 911.