Back Pain Doctor

Shockwave Therapy Brisbane for Knee, Hip & Shoulder Pain

Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive, in-clinic treatment used for selected persistent knee, hip, shoulder and tendon pain. We deliver radial and focused shockwave at our Milton clinic in Brisbane using STORZ Medical systems. The right form depends on the diagnosis and target—not simply on where you feel pain.

Shockwave is reviewed independently for every diagnosis in our treatment evidence index. It is commonly considered once the diagnosis is clear and a progressive loading programme has had a genuine trial, but this is not a rigid ladder. For many people loading is enough on its own. Where shockwave is used, it is paired with the rehabilitation that addresses capacity and function.

Radial vs focused

They are both called shockwave. They are not the same treatment.

The difference is physical, and it decides which one suits your problem. Many clinics offer only one and describe it simply as "shockwave". We think you should know which you are being offered and why.

Radial Focused (ESWT)
What it is A ballistic pressure wave generated by a projectile striking an applicator on the skin. A true acoustic shock wave that converges at a focal point set at a defined depth.
Where the energy is greatest At the skin, falling away with depth. At the focal depth inside the tissue, which is set for the target.
What we use it for Muscle and fascia — tender paraspinal, gluteal, calf and forearm tissue. Tendon, joint, ligament and bone.
Typical course Four to six sessions, about a week apart. Four to six sessions, about a week apart.
Anaesthetic or downtime Neither. Mild local soreness for a day or so is common. Neither. Mild local soreness for a day or so is common.
Strength of evidence Reasonable in plantar heel pain; thinner elsewhere, and rarely compared head to head with focused. Substantial across chronic tendinopathy, including insertional presentations and calcific tendinopathy.
Radial shockwave For muscle and fascia. Read what it involves, the transmitters we use and what the evidence supports. Read more Focused shockwave (ESWT) For tendon, joint, ligament and bone. Read the mechanism, the evidence and the sources behind it. Read more
Osteoarthritis and shockwave

Knee, hip and shoulder arthritis are three different evidence questions

People often arrive after being told that pain in one of these regions is “arthritis”. Shockwave may be relevant, but only after identifying whether the painful target is the joint itself, a nearby tendon or another structure. The evidence is strongest for knee osteoarthritis and for specific hip- and shoulder-region tendon disorders—not for osteoarthritis at every joint.

Knee osteoarthritis

Direct but low-certainty evidence

Trials and reviews report possible short-term improvements in pain and function, especially in mild-to-moderate disease. Protocols vary and higher-quality reviews rate most outcomes low or very low certainty. Shockwave is an adjunct to exercise, not a cartilage-restoring treatment.

Read the condition guide

Hip osteoarthritis

No established direct indication

The better hip-region evidence is for greater trochanteric pain syndrome and gluteal tendinopathy on the outside of the hip—not for osteoarthritis inside the hip joint. Assessment must identify which structure is causing the pain.

Read the condition guide

Shoulder osteoarthritis

No established direct indication

Shoulder shockwave research is concentrated in calcific rotator cuff tendinopathy. It should not be marketed as proof that shockwave treats glenohumeral osteoarthritis, although an adjacent tendon problem may be a separate target.

Read the condition guide

A 2024 systematic review of knee osteoarthritis trials reported favourable results, while a separate critical overview found that most review outcomes were supported by low or very-low certainty evidence. A review of electrophysical treatments added to exercise did not find a clinically significant additional shockwave effect. These are credible differences, so we present knee shockwave as an option to discuss—not a guaranteed arthritis treatment. See the 2024 knee review, the quality overview and the exercise-adjunct review.

For the hip region, the relevant research concerns greater trochanteric pain syndrome rather than intra-articular hip OA. For the shoulder, the most established target is calcific rotator cuff tendinopathy rather than glenohumeral OA. Review the 2024 hip-region review and the 2024 calcific shoulder review.

Conditions where shockwave is most often considered

Each condition page sets out where shockwave sits for that specific diagnosis, alongside every other option we offer — including the ones we would not recommend for it.

Plantar heel pain (plantar fasciitis) One of the best-supported indications. Achilles tendinopathy Good trial support, particularly mid-portion. Tennis and golfer's elbow Focused, where the tendon attachment is the target. Calcific rotator cuff tendinopathy Focused is well established here. Greater trochanteric pain syndrome Reasonable support alongside exercise. Proximal hamstring tendinopathy Considered where loading has stalled.

What shockwave will not do

It will not regenerate cartilage, reverse osteoarthritis or repair a structural tear. It is not a treatment for a fresh injury. It is not a substitute for a diagnosis, and it is not a substitute for the loading work — across the trials, shockwave plus loading beats shockwave alone.

If a clinic offers you shockwave without first establishing what is actually causing your pain, that is the part worth questioning. Our position on treatments we consider poorly supported is set out on our evidence page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between radial and focused shockwave?
Radial shockwave is a ballistic pressure wave that is strongest at the skin and weakens with depth, so it is used mainly for muscle and fascia. Focused shockwave is a true acoustic shock wave that converges at a set depth inside the tissue, so it is used for tendon, joint, ligament and bone. They are commonly both called shockwave, but they are different treatments with different evidence, and the right one depends on where your painful structure sits.
Does shockwave therapy actually work?
It depends on the diagnosis. Chronic tendinopathy has the most established evidence, especially plantar heel pain and calcific rotator cuff tendinopathy. Knee osteoarthritis trials suggest possible pain and function benefit, but study quality and protocols are inconsistent. Direct evidence for hip-joint and shoulder-joint osteoarthritis is not established. We match the claim to the structure being treated rather than treating all knee, hip or shoulder pain as one condition.
Can shockwave therapy help knee osteoarthritis?
It may help pain and function for some people with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis. Reviews include positive trials, but evidence certainty is limited and treatment protocols vary. Shockwave does not regrow cartilage or reverse arthritis. We use it, when appropriate, as an adjunct to strengthening, activity planning and the rest of an osteoarthritis management programme.
Can shockwave treat hip or shoulder osteoarthritis?
Direct evidence for hip-joint or glenohumeral shoulder osteoarthritis is not established. Shockwave may be relevant when pain attributed to arthritis is actually being driven partly by an adjacent tendon condition—such as gluteal tendinopathy at the outside of the hip or calcific rotator cuff tendinopathy at the shoulder. Assessment separates those targets before treatment is offered.
Is shockwave therapy painful?
Most people describe it as uncomfortable rather than painful. The intensity is adjusted during the session to a level you can tolerate, and any soreness afterwards usually settles within a day. No anaesthetic is used and there is no formal downtime.
How many shockwave sessions will I need?
A typical course is four to six sessions about a week apart. Change is usually gradual across the course rather than immediate, and often still developing for some weeks after the final session. The exact number depends on your condition and your response, and is planned with you at consultation.
Is shockwave therapy covered by Medicare in Australia?
There is no specific Medicare item number for shockwave therapy itself. It is delivered as part of a musculoskeletal treatment plan during a standard GP consultation, so the appointment is billed under the time-based GP consultation items, which attract a Medicare rebate. Appointments are not bulk billed, so an out-of-pocket gap applies, and we confirm current fees with you beforehand.
Who should not have shockwave therapy?
Suitability is assessed individually. Pregnancy, treatment over a nerve or major vessel, active infection in the area, some bleeding disorders and anticoagulation are among the things we check before proceeding. Shockwave is also not a treatment for a fresh injury — it is used for persistent problems.
Is shockwave therapy a replacement for rehabilitation?
No. Across the trial evidence, shockwave performs best when it is combined with a progressive loading programme, not when it is used on its own. We treat it as an adjunct for problems that have not settled after a genuine trial of diagnosis-specific rehabilitation, usually around three months.

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Your assessment focuses on understanding the likely source of your pain and the most appropriate non-surgical options for your diagnosis, with the aim of reducing pain and improving function.

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