Shockwave therapy
What it is
Shockwave therapy uses acoustic pressure waves, generated by a handpiece and directed through the skin into the tissue beneath. The device used here is an electrohydraulic system licensed by Health Canada (Class II, device identifier 1000017).
The waves deliver a mechanical stimulus that the body responds to biologically: formation of new blood vessels in tissue that has lost its supply, a temporary increase in local blood circulation, and activation of the connective-tissue cells responsible for repair.
Nothing is injected. Nothing is cut. There is no medication, no anaesthetic and no downtime. A session takes fifteen to twenty minutes and you return to normal activity immediately.
Authorised indications
- Activation of connective tissue
- Temporary increase in local blood circulation
- Relief of minor muscle aches and pains
What a session is like
| Before | You stay dressed apart from the area being treated. The area is located and marked. |
|---|---|
| During | Gel is applied and the handpiece is pressed against the skin. Fifteen to twenty minutes. Energy is increased gradually as you tolerate it. |
| The feeling | A deep tapping or aching, sometimes sharp. Uncomfortable, but it stops when the treatment stops. |
| Afterwards | You return to normal activity immediately. No dressing, no downtime. |
| That evening | Often more sore than before. This is expected. |
| Next two days | Soreness settles. Simple painkillers are fine. |
Why the area is not numbed
Local anaesthetic is deliberately not used. Numbing the area removes the feedback the physician relies on to stay precisely on target, and higher tolerated energy is associated with a better response. Tell the physician honestly what you are feeling.
Side effects
Common, settling within a few days
- — Discomfort during treatment
- — Increased soreness for one to two days
- — Redness of the skin
- — Bruising or small pinpoint marks
- — Some swelling
Less common
- — Numbness or tingling nearby, usually temporary
- — A flare lasting more than a few days
Rare
- — Bleeding into the tissue
- — Tissue injury at the site
- — Skin breakdown at the site
When it is not used
Shockwave is not given during pregnancy, if you take blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder, where there is a known or suspected tumour near the area, where there is an infection at the site, over an open growth plate in a child, or within six weeks of a cortisone injection in the same place.
Tell the physician about every medication you take, including anything bought without a prescription.
Who provides it
Treatment is provided by the physician.
After a session
- — Expect more soreness for a day or two. This is normal.
- — Use paracetamol or acetaminophen rather than ibuprofen or naproxen, unless told otherwise. Anti-inflammatories may work against the biological response the treatment is intended to produce.
- — Ice for fifteen minutes at a time if it helps.
- — Avoid heavy lifting and overhead work for forty eight hours.
- — Keep doing your exercises unless told otherwise.
- — Do not judge the result after one session.
Contact the clinic if you develop severe pain that has not settled after forty eight hours, significant swelling or a large bruise, numbness or weakness in the limb, fever, or spreading redness and warmth.
Contact the clinic →Cost
Shockwave therapy is not covered by MSP and is paid for privately; the assessment that determines whether it is appropriate is covered by MSP.
No referral is needed, and registration as a clinic patient is not required.
Fees →This information sheet is version 1.0, dated 4 September 2026. A copy is provided and discussed before treatment begins.