Living with chronic foot pain can have an incredibly negative impact on the quality of your life. Foot pain can limit mobility and prevent you from doing what you want. In addition to affecting how, when and where you can enjoy your life, it can also cause you to become irritable and tired, potentially affecting your personal and professional relationships.
 
Unfortunately, traditional medicines for pain management are not effective in the long term in treating chronic foot pain. However, a relatively new treatment, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), could solve long-term foot issues. It is ideal for treating foot and ankle pains, and if you have been suffering from long-term foot issues such as plantar fasciitis, it could be the treatment you’ve been waiting for to help you enjoy a new, pain-free lease of life.

What is shock wave therapy?

Focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy and radial extracorporeal SWT are innovative, evidence-based, cost-effective treatments for foot pain and tendon pain (sometimes referred to as tendinopathy or tendinitis. It can also be used to treat other conditions around the body.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is a non-invasive, safe and effective treatment. There is a weight of convincing evidence for its effectiveness, supported by a large body of clinical research and trials. Several multiple, double-blind, randomised clinical trials have supported shock wave therapy for a variety of issues, including plantar fasciitis and other causes of foot pain.

Can you walk after shock wave therapy?

After a shock wave therapy session, you will be able to move your foot normally, and you should be able to walk and drive immediately after treatment. Many people feel a significant pain reduction following shock wave treatment.

However, some patients may feel temporary tenderness in the foot approximately 2-3 hours after the shock wave session. This slight tenderness usually dissipates within 24 hours and is a normal reaction to shock wave therapy. You should avoid any physiotherapy/rehabilitation exercises and avoid strenuous movement for approximately 24 hours after your shock wave treatment.

Can extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) be used alongside other treatments?

Each patient is different, and using EWST will depend on the condition being treated. However, evidence suggests that shock wave therapy can complement rehabilitation and physiotherapy to improve the situation of various foot injuries. Shock wave therapy can essentially be effective as part of a broader complete rehab programme and is also helpful on its own as an outright treatment.

Biomechanical issues (such as walking/running style, strength issues and muscle size) should continue to be addressed by physiotherapy for the best possible results. However, shock wave therapy can play a role in treating foot and ankle pains and inflammation associated with such injuries.

What is the difference between focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy and radial extracorporeal SWT?

Focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy and radial extracorporeal SWT are two of the most common types of shock wave therapy. Focused technology is the newer of the two and provides penetration at greater depths than radial waves. Its output can be focused on more profound, localised areas. This makes it ideal for treating foot and ankle pains associated with plantar fasciitis.

During focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy, acoustic waves are created through a cone of crystals. These cones are designed to focus energy fields when electrical currents are applied. When applied, the energy creates a pressure wave that moves through the skin without losing power in a single, concentrated zone.

During focused therapy, the site of the applicator on the skin will experience minimal impact, creating a safer and more comfortable experience for the patient. In comparison, radial waves are applied across a wider localised area. Both treatments are effective, although focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy is recommended for foot pain as it is more defined and offers greater accuracy.

How many shock wave therapy treatments are needed for foot pain?

The number of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) treatments required will depend on the diagnosis of the patient and the duration of the patient’s symptoms. Research has shown that shockwave treatment has a cumulative effect on foot pain and that patients should expect to receive at least three treatment sessions over three weeks.

It may be the case that more than three sessions are required, but this is typically determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on how well the patient is responding to treatment and/or the severity of the patient’s condition.

How long does a shock wave therapy session last?

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) sessions last approximately 5-10 minutes each. Approximately 2500-3000 shocks are administered to the injured foot area during a single session. Machine intensity is adjusted during the session to ensure the injured tissue receives the required energy. As part of an ESWT session, your physiotherapist may also recommend rehabilitation exercises suited to your condition to help ensure optimal recovery.

Does shock wave therapy hurt?

Shock wave therapy is a relatively new treatment that helps create a healing process within injured tissue, eventually reducing foot pain. During the procedure, energy is delivered to the injured area. This causes a series of micro-traumas to the injured tissue and could cause slight discomfort to the injured site.

The discomfort level you can expect will depend on several variables. The site of your injury, how painful the injured area is before treatment, and your general sensitivity to pain will all impact the level of discomfort - although any discomfort is generally very mild.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) treatment lasts just five to ten minutes, and almost all patients can tolerate the treatment without much (if any) discomfort. During treatment, your clinician will communicate with you and ask if you feel uncomfortable. If you are feeling any discomfort, the intensity of the treatment can be adjusted accordingly to reduce any pain.

Will my private health insurance policy cover shock wave treatment in London?

In recent years, there has been growing clinical evidence for the efficacy of shock wave therapy in treating foot pain. As such, private healthcare insurance companies generally recognise it as beneficial. Most UK-based private health insurance companies (including BUPA and AXA) regularly pay for shock wave therapy treatments.

What should I avoid after shock wave treatment?

If you are wondering, “can I walk after shock wave treatment?” the good news is that you should be able to leave the clinic and walk/drive with no issues. However, following a round of shock wave treatment, you may be advised to avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (such as ibuprofen), as these medicines could potentially lessen the effects of the shock wave treatment. ESWT stimulates a healing response (in other words, it is a pro-inflammatory treatment), and anti-inflammatory drugs could inhibit this process.

If you need to take painkillers after shock wave therapy, you should consider taking paracetamol, which is not an anti-inflammatory. Alternatively, you may wish to apply an ice pack to the affected area.

Does shock wave treatment require surgery?

Shock wave therapy is non-surgical and non-invasive. This means it does not require any surgical invasion of the body tissue or anaesthetic before treatment. It is a manual treatment that manipulates body tissues by applying acoustic energy to the affected area.

If you have any queries about shock wave treatment, please feel free to use our contact form, and a member of our friendly and experienced SWT team will be happy to discuss the treatment in detail.

At a glance: what shock wave therapy does

Shock wave therapy can be used to alleviate a variety of conditions that cause joint and foot pain. The treatment helps to:

• Stimulate blood flow to promote tissue regeneration.
• Reverse chronic inflammation to reduce foot pain.
• Dissolve calcium deposits which cause limited mobility.
• Release trigger points to help reduce tensions.
• Interrupt neurotransmitters associated with pain.

Find out more about extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for foot pain

If you are experiencing foot pain and want to book a shock wave therapy treatment, please do not hesitate to contact us today. Our team of clinicians will be happy to consult with you to learn more about your injuries and offer advice on treating foot and ankle pains with ESWT.

Focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy and radial extracorporeal SWT treatments are available at our Wimbledon clinic. If you are ready to book a course in shock wave therapy, please feel free to call us at [insert telephone number here] or use our online contact form to request a callback. We look forward to helping you on your journey to recovery from foot pain.