What is Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT)?

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy  (ESWT) is a safe, noninvasive treatment that involves delivery of energy in the form of shockwaves to injured tissues to reduce pain and promote healing. ESWT is an option for patients with chronic tendinopathy that have not responded to other conservative treatments.

Shockwave therapy works by emitting high energy pulses. These pulses of energy are delivered to the injured area using an applicator connected to the shockwave therapy device. Shock wave therapy is thought to work by inducing microtrauma to the tissue that is affected by these problems. This microtrauma initiates a healing response by the body. The result is faster and more complete healing.

Shockwave Therapy is FDA approved for a variety of conditions and there are hundreds of clinical studies proving efficacy. Common tendinopathies that shockwave therapy is able to treat include lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow), rotator cuff tendinopathy, biceps tendinopathy, gluteal tendinopathy (greater trochanteric pain), patellar tendinopathy, and hamstring tendinopathy. Additionally, Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis are also commonly treated conditions by podiatry.

The initial consultation to determine if ESWT is appropriate will be billed to your insurance. The ESWT treatments are not covered by insurance. UW Sports Medicine offers an upfront discounted price of $150 per treatment.

Most conditions can be treated with 3-5 weekly treatments.

In general, there are very minimal side effects. Most commonly patients may experience discomfort during the treatment. Transiently, some patients may experience temporary redness, bruising, or soreness for 1-2 days after treatment.

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) is currently being performed at the Sports Medicine Clinic at Northwest Outpatient Medical Center
10330 Meridian Ave. N, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98133

Phone: (206) 668-6100

Dr. Cherie Johnson, DPM and Dr. Tony Kim, DPM perform ESWT to treat Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis.

Dr. Eric Chen, MD performs ESWT to treat upper extremity and all other lower extremity tendinopathies.

You can also find ESWT services at Seattle Spine and Joint Physicians

1700 Westlake Ave N
Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98109-6236

Call or Text: (206) 455-6700

This post was written by Dr. Michael Domingo in December of 2021. Learn more about Mike by clicking here
[Update] ESWT video with Dr. Grierson added on 3/2/2026

 

 

 

Dr. Eric Chen at UW medicine was also a major contributor to this blog article.

Eric T. Chen, MD, MS, is a board-certified physiatrist who specializes in sports medicine. He believes in a team-based approach to care that empowers patients with the knowledge to maximize their quality of life and return to the activities they love the most.

Dr. Chen’s clinical interests include the non-operative treatment of musculoskeletal and sports-related injury including tendinitis, muscle strain, ligament sprain, arthritis, joint pain and spine pain. He has special expertise in ultrasound-guided and interventional spine procedures including cortisone injections, epidural injections, viscosupplementation, and platelet-rich plasma injections.

Dr. Chen is a clinical assistant professor for the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. His research interests include regenerative medicine and musculoskeletal ultrasound.

Learn more about Dr. Eric Chen by clicking here

 

Also thank you to Dr. Matthew Grierson for providing us a demo, seen in the video above.

Dr. Grierson earned his medical degree from Boston University and completed his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Washington, where he served as Chief Resident. He then pursued a fellowship in sports medicine at the University of Washington. Before medical school, he studied modern dance at the University of Utah, drawing from his own experiences with dance-related injuries to better understand the functional impact of movement and recovery.

Dr. Grierson specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries, including the care of dancers and performing artists.

You can learn more about Dr. Grierson by clicking here