Why We Need to Move On From Shockwave Therapy for Tendons
By Physio Daniel O’Grady
Let’s talk about shockwave therapy for tendon pain.
It’s been around for a while, but is it really worth your time, money, and effort?
A new, high-quality study shows the answer is clear:
No, it’s not.
This research is a game-changer.
It shows us that it’s time to leave shockwave therapy behind and focus on better, more effective ways to recover from tendon pain.
Let me explain why this study matters and why it’s time for us to move forward.
A Study You Can Trust
This wasn’t just another small, poorly done study.
This was a randomized controlled trial—the gold standard of clinical research.
The researchers wanted to find out if shockwave therapy actually helps people with insertional Achilles tendinopathy, a common type of tendon pain.
Here’s what made this study so reliable:
Participants were randomly split into two groups: one got shockwave therapy, and the other got a fake, sham treatment.
Both groups received the same high-quality exercise program and education about their condition. The only difference was the shockwave therapy.
Participants and assessors were blinded—they didn’t know who got the real treatment. This helped eliminate bias and ensured the results were fair.
What Did the Study Find?
After 6 weeks and 12 weeks, the results were in: there was no difference between the group that received shockwave therapy and the group that got the sham treatment.
That’s right—shockwave therapy didn’t improve pain, function, or any other outcome.
Even with a solid exercise program alongside it, shockwave therapy offered no extra benefit.
This finding is consistent with previous research, which has also failed to show that shockwave therapy is effective for tendon pain.
Why Does This Matter?
Shockwave therapy is expensive, time-consuming, and often uncomfortable.
If it doesn’t work any better than a fake treatment, why are we still using it?
This study tells us it’s time to stop chasing ineffective solutions and focus on what actually helps.
The good news? We already have effective tools for tendon recovery: exercise and education.
Why This Study Stands Out
This research wasn’t just any study—it was done right. Here’s why it’s so trustworthy:
It included 76 participants, enough to ensure the results were reliable.
It measured real-world outcomes, like pain, function, and quality of life. These are the things that actually matter to patients.
It followed modern clinical guidelines, allowing participants to keep walking, running, and staying active as long as their pain was manageable. This makes the results much more applicable to everyday life.
Meet the Expert: Professor Peter Malliaras
One of the lead researchers on this study was Professor Peter Malliaras, a world-renowned expert in tendon rehabilitation.
He’s spent decades helping people recover from tendon pain and is a leader in evidence-based approaches to treatment.
Professor Malliaras has published numerous scientific papers on tendon pain and regularly trains physiotherapists around the world.
His work emphasizes what really works—like load management and exercise—and steers us away from outdated or ineffective treatments.
If he’s saying shockwave therapy doesn’t help, you can trust that it’s based on solid evidence.
A Better Way Forward
So, what should you do if you’re dealing with tendon pain?
The answer is simple: Focus on exercise and education.
Exercise, when done right, strengthens your tendon and helps it handle the demands of your life—whether that’s walking, running, or sports.
Education helps you understand your pain and manage it with confidence.
These approaches are backed by strong evidence and don’t rely on expensive, unproven add-ons like shockwave therapy.
The Takeaway
Let’s be bold: It’s time to move on from shockwave therapy.
The evidence is clear—it doesn’t work better than a placebo.
Instead, we should focus on the bigger picture: building resilience, managing load, and using proven strategies to recover from tendon pain.
Your recovery doesn’t need gimmicks or quick fixes.
It needs patience, the right exercises, and a focus on what really matters.
It’s just about to tick over to 2025—let’s leave ineffective treatments behind and embrace what works.
If you’re ready to take control of your tendon pain start with a comprehensive evaluation with expert Physio Daniel O’Grady.
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