Plantar Fasciitis
Chronic heel pain that hasn't responded to stretching, orthotics, and rest.
Per session
10–15 min ESWT
Healing that stopped , restarted.
Shock Wave Therapy delivers focused acoustic energy into tissues that have stalled in their recovery. It is one of the most evidence-supported, drug-free treatments in modern physiotherapy, used for chronic tendinopathy, post-surgical scarring and stubborn musculoskeletal pain.
What it is
Targeted acoustic energy, applied where it's needed.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy, known clinically as ESWT, is a non-invasive treatment that delivers high-energy acoustic pulses through the skin into deeper tissue layers. The pulses trigger a biological cascade: increased blood flow, breakdown of calcific deposits, stimulation of collagen formation, and disruption of chronic inflammation cycles.
In simpler terms: when a tendinopathy or stubborn injury has been stuck for months despite rest, exercise and physiotherapy, the body has often given up on healing it. ESWT is a controlled disturbance that prompts the body to start healing again.
The technology has been used clinically since the 1990s and is one of the most studied non-surgical interventions in musculoskeletal medicine. It is not a miracle cure, and it is not appropriate for every pain, but for the right conditions, it is remarkably effective.
At Cerebron, ESWT is used as part of a wider treatment plan, not as a one-off shortcut. A typical course is 4–6 sessions over six weeks, alongside continuing physiotherapy.
How it works
How ESWT does what it does.
The mechanism is well-documented. The right cases are the ones that respond.
- 01
Acoustic pulses, not electricity
A probe rests on the skin over the affected tissue. The device generates focused acoustic waves, sound energy at a specific frequency and depth, that pass through the skin into the tissue beneath. No incision. No injection.
- 02
Controlled biological disruption
The acoustic energy causes microscopic mechanical disruption in the target tissue. It isn't damage, it's signal. The body responds by increasing blood flow, dispatching healing cells, and restarting a repair cycle that had stalled.
- 03
Calcific deposits break down
For calcific tendinitis specifically, the shock waves fragment calcium deposits, allowing the body to reabsorb them, often resolving pain that has persisted for months.
- 04
Pain pathways reset
Chronic pain often becomes self-sustaining at the nervous-system level. ESWT can disrupt these chronic pain signals, allowing the area to recalibrate.
Best for
Where ESWT works best.
Highly effective for some conditions. Not appropriate for others. The first session is diagnostic.
Tennis Elbow / Golfer's Elbow
Lateral or medial epicondylitis, chronic tendon pain at the elbow.
Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy
Chronic shoulder tendon pain, with or without calcific deposits.
Calcific Tendinitis
Calcium deposits in shoulder or other tendons causing chronic pain.
Achilles Tendinopathy
Chronic Achilles tendon pain not resolving with conservative therapy.
Post-Surgical Scar Tissue
Stubborn scar tissue limiting movement or causing pain after surgery.
Trigger Points & Myofascial Pain
Stubborn trigger points causing referred pain in chronic cases.
What to expect
What an ESWT session is actually like.
Built into your wider plan. Tolerable, brief, and tracked across a typical six-week course.
A typical session
- ESWT itself takes 10–15 minutes.
- Combined with manual therapy, full visit ~45 min.
- Patient lies or sits comfortably.
- Therapist holds the probe to the target area.
What it feels like
- Strong, fast tapping sensation under the probe.
- Uncomfortable, not painful, for most patients.
- Some areas are more sensitive than others.
- Intensity is dialled to patient tolerance throughout.
Course & frequency
- Typical course: 4–6 sessions.
- Spaced 5–10 days apart.
- Physiotherapy continues between sessions.
- Re-assessment after the 6-week course.
After each session
- Mild soreness for 24–48 hours is common.
- Avoid intense exercise on the day of treatment.
- Improvement often noticed by the third session.
- Full effect develops over 6–12 weeks.
FAQ
The questions patients ask before starting.
If yours isn't here, send a message, Dr. Shikha's team replies personally, usually within one working day.
It's uncomfortable, not painful. Most patients describe it as a strong rapid tapping sensation. Treatment lasts 10–15 minutes per session. Some areas, like the heel for plantar fasciitis, are more sensitive than others. We adjust intensity dynamically to keep it tolerable while still being therapeutic.
ESWT has strong evidence for tendinopathies, plantar fasciitis, and calcific conditions. It's less useful for acute injuries, joint pain primarily from arthritis, or pain caused by structural problems that require surgical intervention. Dr. Shikha will tell you honestly at the first visit whether ESWT is likely to help, and what to do instead if it isn't.
Most conditions respond to 4–6 sessions, spaced 5–10 days apart. Some plantar fasciitis cases need 6–8. If three sessions haven't produced any change, we re-evaluate rather than push through, sometimes the diagnosis needs revisiting.
ESWT is well-tolerated and has a strong safety profile when used by trained clinicians. Mild post-session soreness, slight bruising, or short-term tenderness are normal. It is not used over open wounds, infections, bone fractures, malignancies, or in pregnant patients. We screen for contraindications carefully at the first visit.
Technically yes, but it's not how we recommend using it. ESWT alone treats the symptom; combined with physiotherapy that addresses the cause, posture, weakness, movement patterns, the results last much longer. We use it as part of a plan, not as a standalone fix.
Recovery is hard. Regret is harder.
Find out if ESWT will help your case.
Bring your scans, reports and history. Dr. Shikha will evaluate the area and tell you honestly whether shock wave therapy fits, and what a realistic course of treatment looks like.