Shockwave Therapy

Your Welbeck consultant will carry out a non-invasive shockwave therapy session without anaesthesia. Treatments last between 10 and 15 minutes, so it’s quick and easy for you.

Usually, you need around 3 sessions, each around a week apart. Your consultant will work out exactly how many and what frequency based on your pain and medical history.

Here are the steps to expect from the treatment itself:

• your position during the session depends on which area is being treated – you may need to sit up or lie on your side or front

• your consultant will apply a gel to the area that’s going to be treated

• they will then use a handheld device to apply shockwaves that passed through the skin to the affected area

• you will be able to hear the soundwaves

• most people do find there’s some discomfort or even pain – your consultant will ask you how it feels and adjust the shockwaves to try and get the balance between comfort and effectiveness for you

Common side effects that should ease within a week after treatment, include:

• bruising

• pain

• local swelling

• skin reddening

• numbness or altered sensation

There’s a small risk of tendon rupture or ligament rupture and damage to the soft tissue, but this is rare.

Risks can be higher for people with specific conditions or health issues – and so shockwave therapy is not suitable if you:

• are under 18

• are pregnant or trying to conceive

• have had a steroid injection within the last 12 weeks at the site to be treated

• have haemophilia, a clotting disorder, or a risk of haemorrhage

• have a cardiac pacemaker, another cardiac device or an unstable heart condition

• have cancer or a tumour at the site of treatment

• have an infection or acute inflammation in the treatment area

• have current thrombosis

• have epilepsy

• are taking a certain type of antibiotic called fluoroquinolones – these include ciprofloxacin (Cipro), gemifloxacin (Factive), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), norfloxacin (Noroxin), and ofloxacin (Floxin)

• have a rare connective tissue disorder called osteogenesis imperfecta

• have a powered implant such as a nerve stimulator

Your consultant will also assess whether a session of shockwave therapy is suitable for you if you:

• have a latex allergy

• have increased or decreased sensation in the treatment area

• have had an Achilles tendon rupture – it needs to be fully repaired

• have a plantar fascia tear

• have a fracture near the area to be treated

• are having a flare-up of an inflammatory condition such as arthritis

• have an underlying prosthetic joint

• are taking blood thinner medication such as warfarin or rivaroxaban

• are taking anti-platelet medication such as aspirin and clopidogrel

Once you’ve been assessed and your consultant recommends shockwave therapy sessions, you’ll be booked in for your sessions. 

Make sure you’re available for all the consecutive sessions – if you miss one, you may have to start the whole block of sessions again to get the best results from the treatment.

Before starting treatment, discuss with your consultant how to come off any anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac)), as these can reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. Ask them about alternative pain management options that might work for you.

You might feel less pain or even none at all immediately after your shockwave therapy session. You should be able to continue your usual activities, but don’t do anything new that’s not a part of your normal routine. There are 2 key things you need to know for immediately after treatment:

1. Be aware that you might feel pain a few hours after your treatment, and it may last a couple of days. For some people, it may last longer. Your consultant will talk to you about suitable pain relief – anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen and naproxen, and ice can both interfere with your body’s self-healing process and make the treatment less effective, so you need to avoid these.

2. For 48 hours after treatment, you need to avoid stretches and strenuous activities that put stress on, or cause pain in, the affected area.  

Our consultants provide personalised pain management. So they’ll arrange for you to have a follow-up appointment around 4 to 6 weeks after your last session. This is to:

• assess your response and the level of pain relief

• see if you need further sessions

• discuss your ongoing pain management plan and options such as physiotherapy

Please contact our Pain Medicine centre for pricing information.

At Welbeck, our pain specialists are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialties, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

To book shockwave therapy treatment, you must be referred by either your GP or a specialist who’s treating your kind of pain following a consultation with them. Self-referrals are not accepted for this treatment.

If you would like to schedule a consultation with a pain medicine specialist please get in touch to make an appointment. Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.