SoftWave Therapy

What it actually does:

SoftWave devices generate broad, unfocused shockwaves that spread through tissue at different depths. These waves can:

• Stimulate cells involved in repair (like fibroblasts)
• Increase local blood flow (angiogenesis)
• Trigger release of growth factors
• Reduce pain signaling in some cases

SoftWave™ Therapy is an effective approach to healing the human body using shockwaves that convert into acoustic waves once they enter the body, stimulating your body's natural processes for self-repair. An important mechanism of SoftWave is that the waves cause the localized cell walls to become permeable and pass proteins through the walls via exosomes due to the shearing stress on the cell. This stimulates the body to initiate a biological cascade, including the generation of stem cell attractants, the recruitment of stem cells, and the activation and differentiation of stem cells that lead to new and healthy tissue.

• This technology is not new. It has been in the marketplace for over 20 years in Europe and FDA cleared in the US.
• There are no known significant negative side effects.
• Inside the applicator head, SoftWave’s are created through the use of an electrode contained within a soft latex dome filled with water. When charged with electricity, the electrode creates a spark, and the energy is transmitted through the water. This spark creates a hot bubble of gas that expands into the surrounding water and produces the shockwave. This SoftWave travels out of the applicator and into the affected area being treated.
• These high-energy acoustic waves penetrate deep into damaged tissue, resulting in increased mobility and a significant reduction of inflammation and pain in just the first treatment. Additionally, electro-hydraulic shockwaves have proven to have a 300% increase in small, medium, and large blood vessels within 12 weeks following the first treatment.
• These high-energy acoustic waves cause cellular walls to become permeable, allowing exosomes to escape into the interstitial tissue, which triggers the migration of your body’s own stem cells to the area for sustained long-term healing over a 12-week period following the last treatment.
• Not all shockwave therapies are the same. Other companies promote acoustic wave benefits when, in fact, radial devices do not produce shockwaves. They manufacture a false shockwave, which is painful, creates trauma to the area, and in some cases requires a numbing agent in order for the patient to tolerate the treatment. Other true shockwave devices, such as focused piezoelectric and electromagnetic, cause microtrauma to tissues. Our broad-focused applicator with SoftWave's electrohydraulic device has no evidence of macro or microtrauma to the tissues which results in faster healing times.
  
  

That’s why it’s used mainly for musculoskeletal problems, like:

• Tendinopathies (e.g., Achilles, rotator cuff, plantar fasciitis, knee joint tendons)
• Joint pain and osteoarthritis-related pain (like knee, shoulder, hip, and elbow osteoarthritis)
• Muscle injuries, sprains, tears, spasms
• Tennis Elbow, Golfer’s Elbow, Frozen Shoulder
• Chronic Inflammation

The technology is FDA-cleared, not “FDA-approved” in the strict sense used for drugs.

Clearance typically applies to specific uses, such as:

• Pain reduction
• Increasing blood flow
• Treating certain wounds (like diabetic foot ulcers)

It does not mean it’s proven to regenerate tissue in all the ways marketing claims suggest.

Benefits:

• Non-invasive (no surgery or needles)
• Usually done in short sessions (10–20 minutes)
• Minimal downtime
• Some evidence supports pain relief and functional improvement for certain conditions (especially chronic tendon issues)

Limitations and skepticism:

• “Activates regeneration” and “addresses root causes” are broad claims that aren’t consistently proven across all conditions.
• Results are variable—some people improve a lot; others see little change.
• It’s not a cure-all, especially for severe structural problems (like major tears or advanced arthritis).
• High-quality evidence exists for some uses (like plantar fasciitis) but is mixed or limited for others.

Safety:

Generally considered safe when done properly:

• Mild discomfort during treatment
• Possible temporary soreness or redness
• Rare complications

Post-Treatment:

• Significant reduction of pain typically lasts from a few hours to 2-3 days after the first treatment. This increases relief with each treatment
• Patients can return to a normal lifestyle immediately after treatment, including light athletic workouts, but inform patients to avoid extreme exercise or activities that may reinjure the damaged area through overuse. Remind them that we have addressed the inflammation, but it takes time to heal.
• Whatever a doctor has prescribed in the past, such as stretching and PT, should be continued if this does not exacerbate pain.
• Avoid ice on the day of treatment, but it can be used in between treatments in place of NSAIDs and pain medications if necessary
• Drink lots of water.
• Patients, especially elderly patients who are hypersensitive to pain, that they may be tired after a SoftWave treatment.
• Inform patients that they may experience mild soreness or stiffness during the next 48 hours. This is normal.

Bottom line:

SoftWave therapy is a legitimate, non-invasive treatment option within the broader category of shockwave therapy. It can help with certain chronic musculoskeletal conditions, especially when other conservative treatments haven’t worked.

But it’s not magic—and the more sweeping claims (full tissue regeneration, fixing root causes universally, etc.) should be taken with caution.