Service
Shockwave therapy
Shockwave therapy at Next Move in Orlando delivers acoustic pressure waves into tendons and fascia that have stopped healing, most often plantar fasciitis, Achilles, and rotator cuff pain. It runs inside a 60-minute one-on-one visit alongside hands-on treatment and a loading plan, because the research favors pairing shockwave with exercise rather than using it alone.
Focused acoustic pulses for tendons and fascia that stopped healing, folded into a plan that reloads the tissue instead of only quieting it.
What it is
Sound waves for tissue that stalled
Tendons heal slowly, and they heal badly once they have been irritated for months. The blood supply is thin, the load never really stops, and the tissue settles into a stalled, sore state that rest and stretching don’t shift. That is the case shockwave was built for.
Shockwave therapy (you’ll also see it called ESWT or EPAT) sends acoustic pressure waves through the skin into the tendon or fascia underneath. The working theory is that the pulses provoke a fresh, local healing response: more blood flow, more cellular activity, a nudge to tissue that has gone quiet. Nothing is injected and nothing is cut. It is a handpiece, some gel, and a few minutes per site.
At Next Move it is one tool inside your plan. Dr. Nguyen decides at your exam whether your tissue is a fit, then pairs it with hands-on work and a loading plan. We use it for tendons, fascia, and stubborn muscle tissue. That is the whole scope here.
What a session feels like
Fast, firm tapping over the sore spot. Most people call it uncomfortable rather than painful, and the intensity is dialed to you, not to a preset. A few minutes per site, then you walk out and get on with your day.
Some soreness, redness, or light bruising over the spot for a day or so is normal. Sharp pain, or a tendon that suddenly feels weak, is not. Tell us.
What it treats
Where shockwave earns a place
Chronic tendon and fascia problems, mostly. Here is where the research is strong and where it isn't, because you deserve to know before you pay for it.
Plantar fasciitis
The heel that lights up on the first steps out of bed. This is shockwave's strongest case: a 2023 meta-analysis found high-quality evidence of a large effect on pain and function, short term and long term. We still pair it with calf loading and footwear changes so the result holds.
Achilles tendinopathy
For pain in the middle of the tendon, above the heel bone, reviews support shockwave and favor combining it with eccentric calf loading over shockwave alone. Pain right at the heel bone (insertional) was left out of those reviews, so the evidence there is thinner, and we'll say so.
Rotator cuff tendinopathy
The press that pinches, the shoulder that aches after pull-ups. A 2024 meta-analysis of 16 trials found shockwave improved pain and function against controls, with the authors calling the evidence limited. Fair summary: worth using alongside cuff and scapular rehab, not instead of it.
Patellar and elbow tendons
Honesty first. Pooled trials show a negligible effect for patellar tendinopathy, and a Cochrane review found little or no benefit for tennis elbow. We don't lead with shockwave for these. The plan leans on loading, and if it's used at all it's one input among several.
Not a standalone fix
Shockwave plus loading, always
A pulse can wake tissue up. It can’t teach a tendon to tolerate load. Every shockwave case here comes with the other half: manual work around the tissue, an adjustment where a joint is contributing, and a progressive loading program that turns the window shockwave opens into a tendon that holds up. The reviews that favor shockwave mostly favor it combined with exercise.
Whether shockwave fits your case is decided at the exam, not at checkout.
Who it's for
For pain that outlasted the basics
Plantar fasciitis, Achilles and rotator cuff tendon pain, and overuse aches that have outlasted rest, ice, and stretching.
Heel, Achilles, or shoulder tendon pain that has hung around for more than a month
Overuse aches you have already rested, iced, and stretched without much change
Athletes who want to keep training while a stubborn tendon catches up
Anyone weighing an injection or surgery who wants a conservative step first
Tell us before booking if any of these apply
- You're pregnant
- You take blood thinners or have a bleeding or clotting disorder
- You have cancer, or a tumor near the painful area
- There's an active infection or broken skin over the spot
- You're young enough to still have open growth plates
- The tendon may have torn: a pop, sudden weakness, or a visible gap
Some of these rule shockwave out completely. Others just mean a different plan. A suspected tendon rupture is a physician-and-imaging problem first, the same day.
None of this is decided from a form. Bring it up on the free 15-minute consult or at the start of your exam, and Dr. Nguyen will tell you straight whether shockwave is on the table for you.
The pathway
Where shockwave fits in the four steps
It shows up early, to get a stalled tendon responding, and then steps aside for the loading work that is meant to make the change last.
Assess & Collaborate
The exam decides whether shockwave belongs in your plan at all: which tissue is involved, how long it has been irritated, and what has already been tried.
Reduce Pain
Where shockwave does its work: a few minutes over the tendon, alongside hands-on care, to get stalled tissue responding again.
Fix Your Patterns
Retraining the pattern that overloaded the tendon in the first place, so the calmer tissue isn't sent straight back into the same problem.
Become Resilient
Progressive loading that turns a quieter tendon into a stronger one. That's what keeps the result after the last session.
Pricing
Start with the exam
Shockwave isn't something you book cold. It starts with the new patient exam, and every price on this site is flat and published up front.
New Patient Exam
$150
60 min
A full hour, one-on-one: history, movement assessment, root-cause diagnosis, and your first treatment.
Start hereFree Consultation
$0
15 min · telehealth
Not sure if this is the right fit? Talk through your injury with Dr. Nguyen before booking anything.
Book a free consultWhether shockwave fits your case, how many sessions make sense, and how it is scheduled and priced within your plan are all settled at the exam. Ask about it there. If you would rather talk it through first, the free 15-minute consult exists for exactly that.
Questions
Straight answers
Does shockwave therapy hurt?
It is uncomfortable more than painful. Expect fast, firm tapping over the sore spot with some warmth; people compare it to a deep-tissue massage or a small jackhammer. The intensity is adjustable, and Dr. Nguyen keeps it at a level you can tolerate. A few minutes per site is typical, and the spot can feel tender or look a little red or bruised the next day.
How many shockwave sessions will I need?
Most courses run somewhere between two and six short sessions, spread out over several weeks. The exact number depends on the tissue, how long it has been irritated, and how it responds, so it is set at your exam and adjusted as you go rather than fixed in advance. It runs alongside the hands-on and loading work in your plan, because that is what makes the result stick.
How long does shockwave take to work?
Some people notice a change within a day or two of the first session, but the honest timeline is weeks. Published clinic protocols describe a course of two to six short treatments spread over roughly six to twelve weeks, with many people reaching their goal well before the course ends. That is also why loading matters: shockwave opens a window and the exercise fills it. If nothing has moved after a fair course, we reassess rather than repeat.
Who should not get shockwave therapy?
It is not for you if you are pregnant, take blood thinners or have a bleeding or clotting disorder, have cancer or a tumor near the site, have an active infection there, or are young enough to still have open growth plates. A suspected tendon rupture, meaning a pop with sudden weakness, is a physician-and-imaging problem first, not a shockwave problem. Tell us about any of these before booking; some rule it out completely, others just change the plan.
Can I train the same day as shockwave?
Usually, yes. Most people go straight back to normal activity, and exercise is generally fine if you feel up to it. Expect the treated spot to feel a bit tender or bruised for a day or two, so it is reasonable to keep that session moderate. Dr. Nguyen will tell you what to load and what to leave alone. Rest is not the plan; managed load is.
How much does shockwave therapy cost at Next Move?
Next Move is cash-pay with flat prices published on the site, and shockwave starts with the new patient exam like everything else. Whether it belongs in your plan and how many sessions make sense are decided there, based on the tissue rather than a preset bundle. How shockwave is priced within your care is also settled at that exam, so ask about it, and Dr. Nguyen decides whether your tissue is a fit before it is ever on the table.
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Where to go next
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