What Is ESWT (Shockwave Therapy) and Who Is It For?
Fzt. Kemran Hafız · 6 September 2026 · 3 min read · Last updated:
ESWT — extracorporeal shockwave therapy — is a non-surgical, needle-free method that stimulates healing in tissue using pressure (sound) waves delivered from outside the body. It is mostly used for chronic tendon and ligament problems that have not settled despite exercise and other treatments. It makes sense together with an exercise programme, not on its own.
How does ESWT work?
The device sends short, high-energy pressure waves to the painful area. They create a controlled stimulus in the tissue; the aim is to restart a stalled healing process, increase local blood flow and reduce the pain signal. It does not "break" tissue; it supports it towards healing.
Which conditions is it used for?
| Condition | Area |
|---|---|
| Plantar fasciitis / heel spur pain | Heel and sole |
| Tennis and golfer's elbow | Outer and inner elbow |
| Achilles tendon problems | Back of the heel |
| Calcific tendinitis | Shoulder |
| Patellar tendon pain | Front of the knee |
| Greater trochanteric pain | Side of the hip |
What they share: they are tendon or ligament problems that have lasted at least a few months. Suitability is decided by assessment.
What is a session like, and how many are needed?
A session usually lasts 10–20 minutes and needs no anaesthetic. Some discomfort may be felt depending on the area; the energy level is set to what you can tolerate. Most protocols use one session a week, 3–5 sessions. The effect appears gradually over the following weeks, not immediately.
Why combine it with exercise?
ESWT opens a window: pain eases and the tissue moves towards healing. If that window is not filled with exercise that builds the tendon's load capacity, the problem can return. So the programme combines ESWT sessions, gradual tendon loading and daily load management.
Who should not have it?
- Pregnancy
- Infection, an open wound or a tumour at the treatment site
- A bleeding disorder or blood-thinner use (assessed with a physician's opinion)
- Over growth plates in children
- Directly over the lungs, major blood vessels and nerves
- With a pacemaker, a physician's opinion depending on the area
These are always asked about during assessment.
How is it planned in physiotherapy?
ESWT shockwave therapy in Bursa first checks whether the complaint really comes from a tendon or ligament: if the pain is from a nerve, the joint or another cause, ESWT may not be suitable. If it is, sessions are added to the exercise programme and progress is tracked with pain and function measures. See also heel spur for heel pain, tennis elbow for the elbow and shoulder pain for the shoulder.
Frequently asked questions
Does ESWT hurt? Some discomfort may be felt during treatment; the energy level is kept tolerable. Mild tenderness for a day or two afterwards is possible.
What should I avoid after ESWT? In the first days after treatment, activities that heavily strain the area are best avoided; the exercise programme continues at the dose set by the physiotherapist.
Are the results permanent? Combined with exercise, many people get long-lasting relief; but if loading habits do not change, the problem can return.
Fzt. Kemran Hafız uses ESWT in Bursa Nilüfer for stubborn tendon and ligament complaints, after assessment and together with an exercise programme.