Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), also called shockwave therapy, is a type of medical treatment that uses high-energy pressure waves to help damaged soft tissue heal. Doctors first used these pressure waves in the 1980s to break up kidney stones. They quickly found that the same waves could help heal musculoskeletal conditions. Shockwave therapy is now commonly used in physiotherapy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation clinics all over Australia to treat a wide range of tendon injuries and long-term pain conditions.
Shockwave therapy sends sound waves into the body at the site of injury. These waves cause small injuries that start the body's natural healing process, which includes increasing blood flow, breaking down scar tissue, and encouraging the growth of new soft tissue. There are two main types: focused shockwave therapy, which targets a specific depth, and radial shock wave therapy, which spreads energy more widely across the surface. Both types are part of ESWT and are often available at Australian physiotherapy and accident rehabilitation clinics.









