Podiatry Treatment Spotlight: Radial Shockwave Therapy for Chronic Foot Pain
If you’ve ever dealt with stubborn heel pain that won’t go away, or nagging tendon pain that keeps flaring up no matter how much you rest, stretch, or ice, you’re not alone.
Chronic foot and ankle pain is one of the most common issues we treat at City Step Podiatry—and for many people, it’s more than just a nuisance. It’s something that limits workouts, interrupts routines, and makes it hard to enjoy everything Chicago has to offer on foot.
Fortunately, advances in podiatric medicine are giving patients more effective, non-invasive treatment options than ever before. One of the most exciting of these is radial shockwave therapy (RSWT)—a cutting-edge treatment we’re proud to offer right here at City Step Podiatry.
We created this new blog series to showcase specific new podiatry treatments and approaches to help you make confident, informed decisions about your foot and ankle health and wellness. Dr. Young and the CSP team are also always here to offer you our personalized support and guidance to select the best options for you.
In this post, we’ll break down how radial shockwave therapy works, which conditions it treats, what you can expect from the process, and why it might be the solution that finally gets you back on your feet pain-free.
What is radial shockwave therapy?
Radial shockwave therapy (often abbreviated as RSWT) is an FDA-cleared treatment designed to stimulate healing in damaged or inflamed soft tissues—especially in areas where the body’s natural repair process has stalled.
Radial shockwave therapy is a form of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT).
That’s a bit of a mouthful, we know. Basically, it simply means a medical device that’s applied outside the body to support its functions.
While ESWT has been around since the early 1980s, RSWT has been actively explored since the 1990s to the early 2000s.
Today, it’s a well-established, non-invasive option that’s used to treat chronic musculoskeletal conditions like plantar fasciitis and tendinopathy, and in orthopedics, podiatry, and sports medicine with strong clinical outcomes. RSWT is often used to reduce pain and promote healing in tendon, ligament, and fascia disorders.
Ready to dive into a little science?
Here’s an interesting phenomenon: when chronic pain develops, your body often stops recognizing the problem as an injury. As a result, your healing response slows down or even shuts off completely.
Shockwave therapy is designed to “wake up” that stalled healing process and get it back online.
It does so by using acoustic sound waves to create a controlled, micro-level stimulus in the affected tissue. These waves are delivered through a small handheld applicator that’s applied to your affected area by a qualified clinician.
These concentrated acoustic signals prompt your body to jump back into healing action, increasing circulation, triggering new blood vessel growth, and restarting the tissue repair cycle.
The result? Gradual regeneration of damaged tissue, less inflammation, and—often—lasting relief from chronic pain.
Conditions shockwave therapy can help treat
Now that you know how radial shockwave therapy works (and it’s pretty cool, right?), let’s explore some of the common foot conditions it’s used to treat.
RSWT is most often recommended for chronic soft tissue conditions that haven’t improved with rest, stretching, physical therapy, or other conservative treatment approaches.
Some of the most common include:
Plantar fasciitis: A leading cause of heel pain. (Be sure to read our complete guide to plantar fasciitis for more details on this common condition.)
Achilles tendinitis: Inflammation or degeneration of the Achilles tendon that causes pain at the back of the heel or ankle.
Insertional Achilles tendinopathy: Pain and stiffness where the Achilles tendon attaches to the heel bone.
Morton’s neuromas: Nerve-related pain in the ball of the foot. Get all the info you need on this condition in our deep dive blog.
Chronic tendon or ligament injuries: Persistent soft tissue pain that hasn’t responded to traditional treatments.
Slow-healing wounds: RSWT can improve blood flow and support tissue regeneration in certain wound care cases. Explore why wound healing support is crucial, especially for those with diabetes.
If you’re an active person dealing with recurring foot or ankle pain, RSWT may be an excellent option for you—especially if the discomfort is holding you back from running, training, working, or simply walking comfortably around the city.
What to expect during RSWT treatment
One of the biggest benefits of radial shockwave therapy is how simple the treatment process is—and how easy it is to fit into your busy schedule.
Curious about what a typical RSWT appointment looks like and how it works? Allow us to pull back the curtain and show you…
An RSWT treatment involves:
Quick, convenient sessions: Each treatment usually takes about 5 minutes per area. This makes RSWT a great option for active, busy professionals, because it can fit easily into your schedule, and you can even get treatments on your lunch break. Most patients need a series of 4 to 5 weekly treatments for best results.
A focused, targeted approach: During your appointment, your podiatrist applies a small handheld device to the area of pain. This device delivers a series of rapid, low-energy sound waves into the tissue below the skin’s surface. The applicator is moved slowly in a circular motion over the affected area to help identify and treat the most sensitive spots. This stimulation is what “wakes up” the body’s natural healing response. Dr. Young is trained in the advanced Zimmer enPuls system, a state-of-the-art device designed to provide top-quality RSWT treatments.
No anesthesia or downtime: Unlike surgery, RSWT doesn’t require incisions, sedation, or recovery time. It’s non-invasive and doesn’t affect your ability to get around. You can walk out of your appointment and go about your day immediately.
Low to no discomfort: You may feel a tapping sensation or brief tenderness during treatment, often described as similar to a deep tissue massage. Most people find it very manageable, and these effects don’t typically linger once the short treatment session is complete.
Progressive results: Many patients notice some pain relief after the first or second session, with more significant improvements building over the following weeks as the healing response ramps up.
Because shockwave therapy stimulates your body’s own repair mechanisms, improvements often continue even after treatment is complete.
Dr. Young is also always ready to answer your questions and help you create a personalized podiatry treatment plan. She'll be happy to listen to your goals and needs and help you decide if radial shockwave therapy is the right approach for you.
How to prepare and what to avoid after RSWT treatment
It’s always good to feel prepared when undertaking a new treatment approach.
If you’re interested in exploring radial shockwave therapy with City Step Podiatry, Dr. Young will walk you through all her personalized recommendations and make sure you feel clear and confident about any treatment choice you make when you work with us.
To maximize results, RSWT patients are generally encouraged to follow these simple guidelines before and after their sessions:
Avoid anti-inflammatory medications: Because NSAIDs (like ibuprofen or naproxen) can interfere with the body’s natural inflammatory healing process, many clinicians recommend pausing them around the time of treatment. Ask your podiatrist how long to avoid them before and after your sessions.
Skip the ice: Cooling reduces inflammation, which is the opposite of what we want here.
Listen to your body: Light activity is fine (and often encouraged) during your course of treatment, but it’s best to avoid overexertion in the days following treatment. So, maybe save the marathon training until after your treatments are complete.
Expect mild soreness: Some temporary tenderness is normal and often a good sign the therapy is working. It’s best to be prepared for this, just in case.
If you have other questions or concerns about RSWT, reach out anytime! Dr. Young is happy to share her knowledge and expertise to help you make the best treatment decisions for you.
How RSWT compares to other treatments
If you’ve been living with foot or ankle pain for a while, you’ve probably tried—or at least considered—some of the more common treatment options, like physical therapy, injections, or even surgery.
Each approach has its place, but radial shockwave therapy offers a unique balance of effectiveness, convenience, and long-term results that make it an attractive choice for many patients.
Let’s break it down so you can make an informed choice:
Physical therapy is a valuable tool, especially for improving strength, flexibility, and overall biomechanics. But it often requires multiple visits per week for several weeks, and results can take time to develop.
RSWT, on the other hand, typically involves just one brief session per week, and many patients notice improvements in fewer visits.
Corticosteroid injections can quickly reduce inflammation and ease pain, but they don’t address underlying tissue damage. Their effects are also temporary, and repeated use can become less effective over time.
In contrast, shockwave therapy focuses on stimulating your body’s natural healing response, which means it works to repair damaged tissue rather than simply masking the discomfort.
Surgery is sometimes necessary for severe cases or structural problems that don’t respond to conservative care. But it also comes with higher risks, a longer recovery period, and potential complications.
RSWT is non-invasive and requires no downtime, making it a much less disruptive option for people who want to stay active and avoid extended time away from work, workouts, or daily life.
For many patients—especially busy, active Chicagoans who don’t want pain to derail their lifestyle—radial shockwave therapy offers an ideal middle ground.
It’s more effective than conservative treatments alone, less invasive than surgery, and designed to help you heal rather than just cope with chronic pain.
Why choose City Step Podiatry for shockwave therapy?
At City Step Podiatry, we’re committed to providing advanced, evidence-based treatments that deliver real results for our patients.
Our practice uses a state-of-the-art radial shockwave system, which allows us to precisely target areas of pain and tailor the energy level to your specific needs and tolerance.
Dr. Young has years of experience treating chronic foot and ankle conditions and specializes in keeping dynamic, professional Chicagoans moving forward—pain-free.
She understands that your time is valuable—and that your mobility matters. Whether you’re logging miles along the lakefront, chasing kids at the park, or walking to the office every day, she’ll create a personalized treatment plan to help you stay active and on your feet.
Because chronic foot pain doesn’t have to be part of your everyday life—and you don’t have to accept it as your new normal. Radial shockwave therapy is a safe, non-invasive, and highly effective way to restart your body’s healing process and finally put persistent pain behind you.
City Step Podiatry offers a range of state-of-the-art treatment options and services, coupled with the expertise of an experienced podiatrist who listens to and cares for Chicagoans like you. With flexible scheduling and payment options and a convenient downtown Chicago location—City Step Podiatry is here to simplify and streamline your health and wellness journey.
If you’re ready to find out whether RSWT is the right treatment for you, we’re here to help. Reach out anytime with questions or schedule a consultation easily online to take your first step toward lasting relief.
City Step Podiatry is here for you! Reach out today to schedule your visit and treat your feet to the care they deserve.
