Home › Treatments › Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave Therapy in
La Crosse
Non-invasive, evidence-based treatment for chronic tendon pain and stubborn soft tissue conditions.
What Is Shockwave Therapy?
Shockwave therapy — radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy (rESWT) — delivers targeted acoustic pressure waves to injured or degenerated soft tissue. These waves stimulate the body's own healing response: increasing blood flow, breaking down calcifications, disrupting pain signaling, and activating cellular repair in tissue that has stalled in a chronic, non-healing state.
Shockwave is particularly valuable for conditions that have resisted other treatments — chronic tendinopathies, calcific deposits, and scar tissue that hasn't responded to manual therapy, exercise, or injection therapy. It is non-invasive, requires no anesthesia, and has strong evidence behind it for specific musculoskeletal conditions.
Conditions and Symptoms We Commonly Treat
What to Expect During Treatment
A handheld applicator is placed against the skin over the target area. You will feel repetitive pressure pulses — intensity ranges from mild to moderately intense. Treatment typically lasts 5–10 minutes per area. Temporary pain during or immediately after the session is expected and normal.
Most protocols involve 3–5 sessions spaced 1 week apart. Clinical research shows 60–80% of patients with chronic tendinopathy experience significant improvement following a full shockwave course. Results continue to develop for 6–12 weeks as tissue heals and remodels.
Our Key Providers
The specific care you need and deserve — all brought together under one practice, across three locations in La Crosse and Onalaska.
Find the right provider for exactly what you need.
Is shockwave therapy painful?
The treatment involves repetitive pressure pulses that range from mild to moderately intense. Intensity can be adjusted. Some temporary discomfort is expected and part of the therapeutic mechanism — it signals stimulation of the healing response.
How many sessions will I need?
Most protocols are 3–5 sessions, once per week. Results continue to develop for weeks after treatment as tissue heals and remodels. Your physical therapist will recommend the appropriate number based on your condition. More visits may be necessary if another area of the body is involved.
What conditions respond best to shockwave therapy?
The strongest evidence supports shockwave for chronic plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, calcific shoulder tendinitis, and patellar tendinopathy. If you've had one of these for 3+ months without resolution, shockwave is worth discussing.
Is shockwave covered by insurance?
Coverage varies by plan. We recommend calling your insurance provider to ask specifically about extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) coverage. Our front desk can also help clarify your benefits.
Is shockwave therapy safe?
Yes. Shockwave therapy is FDA-cleared for several musculoskeletal conditions and has a strong safety profile. Contraindications include certain circulation disorders, blood thinners, cancer in the treatment area, and pregnancy.
For the pain that hasn't responded
to anything else.
Shockwave reaches the cellular level of chronic tendon dysfunction — stimulating healing in tissue that has stalled. If you've been dealing with the same tendon pain for months or years, this is worth exploring.
Call us today Onalaska (608) 351-3049 for State Road (608) 668-6700
Front Desk Hours
Monday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Friday: 800am - 4:30pm
Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Important Links
Our Locations
Onalaska Location
1430 Main St, Onalaska, WI 54650
State Road - La Crosse
3208 State Road, Suite A, La Crosse, WI 54601
Unity - La Crosse
2801 Losey Blvd, La Crosse, WI 54601
Dynamic Performance and Therapy. © 2026. All rights reserved.