High-energy sound waves that stimulate healing in stubborn tendon and soft-tissue pain, without surgery or injections, at our three Melbourne clinics.
Experience
Patients
Melbourne
Available
Some injuries settle with rest and rehab. Others hang around for months despite doing all the right things. Shockwave therapy uses high-energy sound waves to stimulate healing in stubborn tendons and soft tissues, without surgery or injections.
At Up & Running Podiatry, we offer shockwave therapy at all three Melbourne clinics, usually as one part of a wider rehab plan. Patients commonly come to us with heel, Achilles, knee or hip pain that has been there for three months or longer. If that sounds familiar, you can book online for an assessment.
Book online or call 1300 185 335.
Your first appointment begins with an assessment. We confirm shockwave is suitable for your problem and work out exactly which structure is causing the trouble before any treatment starts.
We apply contact gel and move a handheld probe across the skin, delivering acoustic shockwaves to the affected area. The application itself takes no more than five minutes, and the whole consultation runs about 15 to 20 minutes.
The shockwaves create controlled microtrauma that restarts the body’s healing response, improving blood flow and stimulating tissue repair. They also reduce pain signalling, so many people feel some relief before the tissue has fully healed.
Most conditions need three to six weekly sessions. We pair treatment with load management and strengthening, and if there has been no change by the third session we reassess the cause rather than simply continuing.
Plantar fasciitis has some of the strongest evidence behind shockwave, and it is the condition we treat with it most. It is worth considering when sharp first-step heel pain has lasted three months or more despite stretching, ice, footwear changes or heel cups. We use it alongside load management and strengthening.
Achilles tendinopathy often responds to shockwave, particularly mid-tendon cases that are thickened and stiff in the morning. Where the pain sits lower, where the Achilles meets the heel bone, we load more carefully. Treatment runs alongside calf strengthening.
Patellar tendinopathy, or jumper’s knee, causes pain just below the kneecap when jumping or squatting, and is common in basketballers and netballers who have ramped up training. Shockwave can reduce tendon pain enough to make a proper strengthening program tolerable, which is where the lasting change comes from.
Gluteal tendinopathy causes pain on the outside of the hip that flares when you lie on that side or climb stairs, and is often mislabelled as bursitis. Shockwave, combined with hip strengthening and simple habit changes, gives an alternative to cortisone injections.
Shockwave suits chronic tendon and soft-tissue pain that has not settled with rest and rehab. It reduces pain, stimulates repair and helps you keep training or stay in season. We use it as one part of a wider plan, not a standalone fix, so we also address whatever caused the problem.
A handheld probe is placed against your skin with contact gel and delivers high-pressure acoustic shockwaves into the affected area. Those waves create controlled microtrauma in the damaged tissue, which restarts the healing process where it has stalled. Your body responds by releasing growth factors and forming new blood vessels, improving blood flow and stimulating repair.
Shockwave also reduces pain before the tissue has fully healed by lowering substance P, one of the chemicals involved in pain signalling. That is why many people notice some relief early in the course. Most foot and lower-limb problems are treated with radial shockwave, which spreads energy across a wider, shallower area, since the target tissues sit close to the skin.
Shockwave is usually recommended when a chronic problem such as a tendinopathy has not settled with other treatment. We see athletes who want to keep training or stay in season, and older patients looking for a non-invasive option before considering injections or surgery.
It is not a first choice for a fresh injury or where pain comes from a tear rather than tissue degeneration, and where simpler treatments have not been tried, we use those first. There are also times when shockwave should be avoided, including over open growth plates, during pregnancy, near a pacemaker or when taking strong blood-thinning medication, so your podiatrist screens for these first.
Most patients need three to six sessions, delivered weekly. How many depends on how long the condition has been present and how the tissue responds; a six-month case of heel pain generally settles faster than a two-year one.
Many people notice a clear improvement by the second or third session, but recovery continues after that, with tissue repair taking a further six to twelve weeks. If there has been no change at all by the third session, we reassess what is driving the pain rather than simply recommending more treatment.
Getting the diagnosis right matters. Shockwave achieves little if the wrong structure is being treated, so we take time to work out what is actually behind your pain before recommending it. Our team has more than 20 years of experience in sports medicine and biomechanics, including an Ironman World Championship finisher and a former elite middle-distance runner.
We do not use shockwave as a standalone fix. Depending on what we find, we combine it with strengthening and changes to your footwear or technique, so we settle the pain and deal with whatever caused it. You will find us in Port Melbourne, Elsternwick and Williamstown, open Monday to Saturday, with same-day appointments often available and no referral needed.
Often, yes. When shockwave is delivered within a podiatry consultation, most extras policies that include podiatry pay a benefit toward it. The rebate depends on your fund and level of cover, so check before your first visit. We accept all health funds, and Medicare rebates only apply if your GP has placed you on a chronic disease management plan.
Prices vary between clinics, and the total is the fee per session times the three to six sessions most conditions need, so ask for the full course price rather than comparing single sessions. Our reception team can confirm current fees and your likely out-of-pocket cost on 1300 185 335 before you book.
Minor side effects are common and short-lived. You may see redness or slight swelling over the treated skin, and the area can feel bruised or tender for a day or two. Serious problems are rare when treatment is delivered by a qualified podiatrist who has screened you properly.
Avoid shockwave if you are pregnant, have a pacemaker or implanted device near the treatment area, take blood-thinning medication, or have an infection or tumour at the site. Children with open growth plates near the injured area are also unsuitable. Tell your podiatrist about any of these at your assessment.
Yes. Shockwave is normally used alongside other treatment, including strengthening exercises, orthotics, footwear changes or adjustments to your activity. As the pain settles, strengthening rebuilds the injured tissue’s capacity and lowers the chance of the same symptoms returning.
Give high-intensity exercise a miss for the first 24 to 48 hours after treatment. We may also ask you to avoid anti-inflammatory medication and ice during the course, depending on your injury. Normal walking and everyday activity are usually fine straight away.
Book your Shockwave assessment today and take the first step towards pain-free movement. Same-day appointments available and expert care across three Melbourne locations.
