Shockwave Therapy for Achilles Tendon Pain
- My Family Podiatry
- Sep 28
- 4 min read
Achilles tendon pain is one of those injuries that seems to linger. It nags in the morning, slows you down in training, and makes even everyday activities uncomfortable. You may have tried rest, stretching, massage, or new shoes, only to find the pain keeps coming back.
At My Family Podiatry we see this all the time. One of the most effective treatments for stubborn Achilles pain is shockwave therapy. What makes our clinic different is that we use both radial shockwave therapy and focused shockwave therapy, tailoring treatment depending on where along the tendon your pain is. Before we even begin, we can perform in-clinic diagnostic ultrasound to assess the tendon and guide treatment.
Understanding Achilles Tendon Pain
The Achilles tendon connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. It is the largest tendon in the body, but it is also one of the most prone to overuse injuries.
Symptoms of Achilles tendinopathy include:
Pain or stiffness in the back of the heel, especially in the morning.
Tenderness when squeezing the tendon.
Pain during or after running, jumping, or climbing stairs.
Swelling or thickening of the tendon.
Pain when pushing off during walking or sport.
Some people feel pain right at the heel bone (the tendon insertion), while others feel pain higher up through the middle of the tendon. Treatment needs to account for where the pain is coming from.
The Role of Diagnostic Ultrasound
One of the advantages of coming to My Family Podiatry is that we can use diagnostic ultrasound in the clinic to examine your Achilles tendon.
Ultrasound allows us to:
Confirm whether the tendon has degeneration or small tears.
See if there is swelling, thickening, or nodule formation.
Identify whether the problem is in the middle of the tendon or at the insertion where it attaches to the bone.
Monitor progress over time as treatment continues.
This information helps us decide whether radial or focused shockwave is the best option, and allows us to target treatment precisely where it is needed.
Why Standard Treatments Sometimes Aren’t Enough For Achilles Tendon Pain
Conservative care is always the first step:
Load management (adjusting training volumes).
Calf strengthening and eccentric exercises.
Supportive footwear and orthotics.
Stretching and mobility work.
These approaches often help, but chronic cases sometimes don’t respond. When the tendon has developed scar tissue, poor blood flow, or degeneration, the healing process needs an extra boost. That’s where shockwave therapy fits in.
How Shockwave Therapy Works
Shockwave therapy delivers energy waves into the tissue. These acoustic waves create a controlled microtrauma that stimulates healing. The treatment helps to:
Increase blood flow.
Break down scar tissue.
Encourage new collagen formation.
Reduce pain signals.
Patients usually describe the feeling as a strong pulsing or tapping sensation. Sessions are short and there’s no downtime afterwards.
Radial Shockwave Therapy
Radial shockwave spreads energy outward in a wider, less focused pattern. It is excellent for treating:
The calf muscles.
The mid-portion of the Achilles tendon.
General stiffness and tightness higher up the leg that may be feeding into Achilles pain.
We often use radial shockwave as part of treatment when there is significant calf tightness or when pain is located in the thick middle section of the tendon.
Focused Shockwave Therapy
Focused shockwave delivers energy with precision to a specific point. It penetrates deeper and is especially useful for:
Insertional Achilles tendinopathy (where the tendon attaches to the heel bone).
Chronic, localised pain that hasn’t improved with other care.
Targeting areas of nodule formation or calcification.
Insertional pain can be particularly stubborn because of the stress placed on the tendon attachment during walking and running. Focused shockwave allows us to deliver treatment directly to the problem area without affecting surrounding tissue.
Combining Radial and Focused Shockwave
What sets our clinic apart is that we have both technologies available. We can start with radial shockwave to address calf tightness and diffuse tendon pain, then use focused shockwave to target insertional issues or persistent problem spots.
By tailoring the approach, and using diagnostic ultrasound to guide decisions, we can provide more effective and comprehensive care than clinics that only offer one type of device.
What to Expect During Treatment
Each session lasts around 5–10 minutes for shockwave before moving into strapping, exercise prescription or any other therapy needed.
Most patients require 3–6 sessions, spaced weekly.
The intensity is adjusted to your tolerance.
Some discomfort during treatment is normal, but it settles quickly.
You can walk immediately afterwards and continue normal daily activity.
We’ll often combine shockwave with strengthening programs and load management so that the tendon not only heals but also becomes more resilient.
Benefits of Shockwave Therapy for Achilles Tendinopathy
Non-invasive and needle-free.
Effective for both mid-portion and insertional pain.
Guided by diagnostic ultrasound for precision.
Speeds up healing when other treatments have plateaued.
Supported by strong clinical evidence.
Trusted by elite sports teams and athletes.
When to Seek Help For Achilles Pain
If your Achilles pain has lasted more than two weeks, is worse in the morning, or has not improved with basic care, it’s time to get assessed. Early treatment is easier, but even chronic Achilles problems can respond well to the right combination of care, ultrasound-guided diagnosis, and shockwave therapy.
Achilles tendon pain can be stubborn, but it doesn’t have to keep you sidelined. At My Family Podiatry we use diagnostic ultrasound to assess the tendon and guide treatment. We then use both radial shockwave therapy and focused shockwave therapy to treat the calf, the mid-portion of the Achilles, and the insertion at the heel. This allows us to tailor treatment to your exact condition and get you back to pain-free activity faster.
If you are tired of living with Achilles pain, book your consultation with My Family Podiatry today and let’s start your recovery.
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