Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) delivers acoustic pressure waves through the skin into a painful tendon or fascia, usually as an adjunct to a loading programme.
It is used in sport and exercise medicine (SEM) for selected persistent tendinopathies and plantar heel pain, in repeated outpatient sessions without breaching the skin. The evidence and the UK guidance differ by condition: one use is restricted to research, several need special arrangements, and for some tendons it is not recommended.
This page covers how the devices differ, what the evidence shows condition by condition, and how treatment is delivered safely.
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