Shockwave therapy
Shockwave Therapy in Singapore
By the Phoenix Rehab physiotherapy team. Last updated 3 October 2026.
Shockwave therapy sends pressure waves through the skin into a tendon or the tissue under the heel. The research is strongest for long-standing heel pain from plantar fasciitis and for calcium deposits in the shoulder tendons, and mixed for most other problems. We use it alongside loading exercise, never instead of it.
$50 per area added to a physiotherapy appointment. $120 per area booked on its own, after your first appointment. At Orchard and Tampines.
What shockwave therapy is
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) uses a handheld probe, pressed on the skin over a layer of gel, to deliver short pressure pulses into the tissue underneath. Each area takes a few minutes. Most people describe it as strong, fast tapping: uncomfortable while it is happening, and over once the probe lifts.
There are two kinds. Radial shockwave spreads out from the probe and works at shallower depths. Focused shockwave converges on a point and reaches deeper. Which is used depends on where the problem is.
What it is used for, and what the research says
Shockwave is used for tendon and soft tissue problems that have lasted months rather than weeks. The evidence is not the same for every condition, and we would rather you knew that before you pay for it.
| Problem | What the research shows |
|---|---|
| Long-standing heel pain from plantar fasciitis | Stronger evidence |
| Calcium deposits in the shoulder tendons (calcific tendinopathy) | Stronger evidence |
| Tennis elbow, Achilles tendinopathy, jumper’s knee, pain on the outside of the hip | Mixed. It helps some people, usually alongside loading exercise |
If you have heel pain that is worst for the first few steps out of bed, this is what that pattern usually means. For pain on the outside of the elbow, see tennis elbow.
Why it is never the whole plan
A tendon that has been painful for months has lost its tolerance for load. Shockwave can take the edge off the pain; it does not build that tolerance back. Graded loading exercise does, and that is the part of the plan that carries on after the shockwave stops. So shockwave is added to a physiotherapy appointment that includes hands-on treatment and exercise, rather than sold as a treatment on its own.
When shockwave is not suitable
We screen for these at your first appointment, which is why shockwave can only be booked on its own after that. Tell your therapist if any of them apply:
- You are pregnant
- You take blood-thinning medicine or have a bleeding disorder
- You have had a steroid injection into the same area recently
- You have, or have had, cancer in or near the area
- There is an infection, open wound or broken skin over the area
- You have a pacemaker, or a metal implant close to the area
- You are under 18 and the area is over a growing bone
What to expect
Your therapist marks the most tender point, applies gel and works over the area for a few minutes, adjusting the intensity to what you can tolerate. Redness and soreness for a day or two afterwards are common. Shockwave is usually given as a short course, about a week apart. Your therapist tells you how many they suggest after the first, and checks at each appointment whether it is helping. If it is not, we stop.
Shockwave therapy
Per area, added to a physiotherapy appointment ($230 per 45-minute appointment, nett, no GST). Booked on its own after your first appointment, $120 per area. Available at Orchard and Tampines.
Questions
Before you book
Can I book shockwave on its own?
Yes, after your first appointment. We assess you first to check there is no reason shockwave would be unsafe for you. After that it can be booked on its own at $120 per area. Most tendon problems still need loading exercise alongside it.
Does shockwave therapy hurt?
It is uncomfortable while it is happening, like strong, fast tapping on a sore spot. Your therapist adjusts the intensity to what you can tolerate. It stops as soon as the probe lifts, and some soreness for a day or two afterwards is common.
How many appointments will I need?
Shockwave is usually a short course, about a week apart. Your therapist tells you how many they suggest after the first one and checks each time whether it is helping.
What is the difference between shockwave and ultrasound therapy?
They are different machines doing different things. Shockwave vs ultrasound therapy, explained →
Will my insurance pay?
It depends on your policy. How insurance claims for physiotherapy actually work →
Where
Shockwave at two clinics
ORCHARD
400 Orchard Road #12-12
Orchard Towers, S238875
NS22 Orchard MRT
Physiotherapy and hand therapy in Orchard →
WhatsApp 8800 1830TAMPINES
9 Tampines Grande #01-20
Asia Green, S528735
EW2DT32 Tampines MRT
Physiotherapy and hand therapy in Tampines →
WhatsApp 8780 9608Not sure shockwave fits your problem?
Tell us where it hurts and how long it has been going on. We will tell you whether shockwave is worth adding, and what else the plan needs.
What our patients say
Google reviews from our clinics in Singapore.
