Your Discovery Visit

This is the question people are most afraid to ask, so let’s answer it straight. Shockwave has been used on tendons for more than 20 years. Side effects are usually mild: soreness, redness or a bit of bruising that settles in a few days.

Very rarely, a tendon has torn after treatment. Some of those happened after a fall in the weeks after treatment, which is why we guide how fast you build back up.

We also check every client before treating. If you have a large or complete tear, shockwave isn’t the right tool, because it can’t reconnect a tendon that’s fully torn. We’ll tell you that at your visit.

Video 1 goes here: Can shockwave cause a tear?

Shockwave can be uncomfortable. Most people describe a firm, deep thumping. Intense, but tolerable. We start low and only turn it up as far as you can handle, and each area takes about 5 to 10 minutes.

EMTT is the opposite: most people feel almost nothing.

Video 2 goes here: Does shockwave hurt?

See it for yourself: What a regenerative therapy session is really like

That’s normal. EMTT works at the level of the cells, not the skin. It isn’t supposed to hurt, and it works best alongside shockwave and your exercises.

No. Some soreness for 2 to 3 days after shockwave is common. Some people notice warmth or sensitivity too. That’s often tissue that’s been stuck for a while starting to respond.

If the pain is sharp, getting worse after 3 days, or you notice swelling or numbness that isn’t going away, call us at (619) 397-1391.

What’s happening inside the tissue: How regenerative therapy supports healing

Most problems respond in about 6 to 8 sessions, usually once a week. Older or deeper problems can take more, so you’ll get your number at your Discovery Visit.

Many people notice a change within the first 2 to 3 sessions. The tissue keeps healing for weeks after your last session, so the best results often come later than the first relief.

What progress looks like isn’t the pain vanishing overnight. It’s less stiffness week to week, more confidence moving, doing more before it complains, and fewer setbacks over time.

Video 5 goes here: How many sessions, and when will I feel it?

Tell us about anything you have: plates, screws, a joint replacement, a pacemaker, or if you’re pregnant. We screen every client before any treatment.

For metal hardware or a joint replacement, it depends on what it is and where it is. A pacemaker or any implanted electronic device must be disclosed, especially for EMTT, which uses magnetic pulses. We also need to know if you’re on blood thinners, or have an infection or tumor in the area.

Video 4 goes here: Is it safe with metal or implants?

Tell us the date and what you had, and bring the injection details or operative report if you have them. Timing matters. Some treatments are fine early on, and others we hold off on for a while.

Often, yes. When shockwave hasn’t worked, the usual reason isn’t the machine. It’s where it was aimed, the type and depth used, or that nothing was done about why the problem started in the first place. That last part is the physical therapy, and it’s why we do both.

Video 3 goes here: I tried shockwave somewhere else

Those are good brands of one type of machine. Most clinics have one machine. We’re the only clinic in San Diego with all three: focused shockwave, radial shockwave and EMTT. And we pair them with physical therapy, because the machine is only half of it.

Sometimes that’s the right call, and if we think you need an orthopedist, we’ll tell you. A shot can calm things down. It doesn’t change how you move or why the problem started, which is why so many people end up back for a second and third one.

Most insurers don’t cover regenerative therapies, so we give you the full cost up front. Many people can use HSA or FSA funds. We can give you the paperwork, but whether your plan accepts it is up to your plan administrator.

You’ll see the full plan and every cost at your visit, with physical therapy on its own and physical therapy with regen side by side, before you decide anything.

You’ll see every number at your visit, and we offer payment plans. The better question is what it’s costing you now: the golf you’ve stopped playing, the walks you skip, the months of “maybe it’ll go away.”