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Shockwave therapy

Focused shockwave therapy in Lake City, SC

A non-surgical option for tendon and soft-tissue pain that has outlasted rest, ice, and time. Available at our Lake City office.

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What it is

Sound waves, not surgery

Shockwave therapy, or extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), sends rapid acoustic pressure pulses through the skin into the tissue underneath. Extracorporeal simply means the pulses are generated outside the body: nothing is injected and nothing is inserted, and it is not electrical stimulation. The pulses deliberately irritate a stalled injury, which increases blood flow to the area and restarts the repair process the body gave up on.

That matters for tendon problems in particular. Tendons have a poor blood supply, so a strain that should have healed in six weeks can sit there for a year, sore every morning and slightly worse every time you push it. Shockwave is aimed squarely at that situation: the injury that is old, stubborn, and not responding to rest.

There are two kinds of machine, and the difference is worth knowing before you book anywhere. Radial units, the more common type, send a pressure wave that spreads outward from the head and loses strength quickly, which suits problems sitting close to the surface. Focused units converge their energy at a set depth instead, so it arrives concentrated where the trouble actually is. We use a focused unit.

That matters for anything deep. A calcium deposit in the shoulder, a gluteal tendon under a layer of muscle, a high hamstring attachment: these sit below where a radial wave has much left to give. If you have already tried shockwave elsewhere without much change, it is worth asking which type you had.

It is not a first resort. If your problem is a fresh strain, we will usually treat it more conventionally and let it heal. Where shockwave earns its place is the case that has already failed the obvious things.

The appointment

What a session actually involves

Plan on about twenty minutes in the room. You stay dressed apart from exposing the area being treated.

  1. Examine the painful area

    Dr. Jordan reviews your symptoms and examines the area to decide whether shockwave therapy is appropriate. The examination helps guide where treatment is applied.

  2. Gel goes on

    A layer of ultrasound gel couples the applicator to your skin so the acoustic pulses carry into the tissue instead of scattering at the surface.

  3. The pulses run

    The head is worked over the area for roughly ten to fifteen minutes. You will hear a rapid tapping and feel a deep thumping that builds. We adjust the intensity to what you can tolerate.

  4. Review your next steps

    Discuss activity, aftercare, and any follow-up visits with Dr. Jordan. Tell the office about soreness or changes in symptoms so the plan can be reassessed.

What it treats

Where it tends to help most

The evidence is strongest for plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, and calcific shoulder tendinitis. The deeper hip and shoulder targets on this list are the ones a focused unit is chosen for. If your problem is not here, call and ask.

Foot and heel

  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Achilles tendinitis
  • Heel spur pain

Elbow and shoulder

  • Tennis elbow
  • Golfer’s elbow
  • Rotator cuff tendinopathy
  • Calcific tendinitis of the shoulder

Hip and knee

  • Trochanteric bursitis
  • Gluteal tendinopathy
  • Proximal hamstring tendinopathy
  • Patellar tendinitis
  • IT band syndrome

Muscle and scar tissue

  • Chronic trigger points
  • Long-standing muscle tension
  • Scar tissue adhesions

Screening

Check whether shockwave is right for you

Tell Dr. Jordan about your medications, health conditions, and recent treatments. These details help determine whether shockwave therapy is appropriate and which precautions are needed.

  • You are pregnant and the area to be treated is the abdomen or pelvis
  • You take blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder
  • There is an active infection or an open wound over the area
  • There is a tumor at the treatment site
  • The area sits over an open growth plate in a child
  • You had a cortisone injection there in the last six weeks

Questions

Before you book

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Does it hurt?

It is uncomfortable rather than painful for most people. The sensation is a deep, rapid thumping that gets more intense the closer we work to the sore tissue. We start low and build to what you can tolerate, and it stops the moment the handpiece comes off. Tell us if it is too much and we will back the intensity down.

How many sessions will I need?

Most conditions are treated over three to six sessions, spaced about a week apart. Dr. Jordan will give you an honest estimate after examining you. If you are several sessions in with no measurable change, we will say so and look at other options rather than keep booking you.

How soon will I feel something?

Some people notice a difference within a few days. More often the change builds over several weeks as the tissue responds, and it is common to feel a little more sore for a day or two after the first session before things improve. Tendon problems that took months to develop rarely resolve in one visit.

Will my insurance cover it?

Usually not. Most plans still treat shockwave as elective, so it is typically a cash-pay service. Call the office at 843-713-0669 and we will tell you the cost up front before you book anything.

Is this the same as the shockwave I was offered somewhere else?

Possibly not. Most clinics use a radial unit, which spreads a pressure wave outward from the head and works best on tissue near the surface. We use a focused unit, which concentrates its energy at a set depth so it reaches deeper targets like a calcified shoulder or a gluteal tendon. Both are legitimate treatments and radial does well on plantar fasciitis and tennis elbow. If you had a course elsewhere that did nothing, ask which type it was, because that alone can be the reason.

Are there side effects?

The common ones are mild and short-lived: soreness, redness, some swelling, occasionally a small bruise. They usually settle within a day or two. Serious problems are rare when the treatment is used on appropriate patients, which is why we screen for the conditions listed above first.

Can I have it at the same visit as an adjustment?

Yes, and they often work well together. An adjustment addresses how the joint moves; shockwave addresses the tendon or soft tissue itself. Many patients have both in one appointment.

What should I do afterward?

Dr. Jordan will give you instructions based on the area treated and your health history. Do not stop or change prescribed or over-the-counter medication without checking with the clinician who manages it.

More about your treatment options

Evidence and safety

Clinical references

These sources explain general evidence, risks, and warning signs. They do not diagnose an individual reader or replace an examination.