Read about Kate’s* journey with hip pain and Shockwave Therapy.

*Name changed due to privacy

If you've been living with hip pain for months, tried everything, seen multiple practitioners, and still feel stuck, Kate's story might sound familiar.

Kate had been living with persistent lateral hip pain for over 12 months. Like many people, she had been searching online for answers.  Reading about hip pain, bursitis and treatment options trying to find something that would finally work.

Over the year, she had tried multiple treatment approaches and medications, including a cortisone injection six months earlier. While the injection helped initially, the relief only lasted a few weeks before the pain gradually returned.

Her symptoms began to significantly impact her quality of life:

• Pain when lying in bed, especially on her side

• Poor sleep due to discomfort

• Pain with prolonged sitting

• Anxiety around long car trips

• Reduced walking tolerance (previously a daily enjoyment for her)

• Ongoing frustration and feeling “stuck” in recovery
  

Although Kate had been diligent with rehabilitation and was better than she had been a year earlier, she felt she had plateaued and didn’t know what her next step should be.

Finding Shockwave Therapy

After speaking with a friend, Kate learned about shockwave therapy as a possible option for chronic tendon-related hip pain. After researching further and recognising her symptoms matched the profile, she reached out to our clinic in Burwood to explore whether it might be appropriate for her.

Initial Consultation & Assessment

At Kate’s first appointment, we completed a comprehensive case history and assessment.

For shockwave therapy, a detailed medical history is essential. One of the most important screening factors is recent cortisone medication use. Shockwave therapy is a pro-inflammatory treatment. It stimulates blood flow, vascular formation, and healing responses. Cortisone, being a steroid, suppresses inflammation. For this reason, shockwave therapy is not appropriate within 6 weeks of cortisone injections or cortisone tablet use.

Kate’s previous injection history was not a problem, as it was well outside this timeframe.

This is why medical screening matters. Not everyone is suitable for shockwave therapy, and safety and effectiveness depend on correct clinical reasoning.

There are other medical reasons too as to why people may or may not be eligible for Shockwave therapy, so it's important for this step to not be missed, and we can give you the correct treatment pathway.

Osteopathy assessment and diagnosis

We performed our osteopathy movement assessment, understanding Kate’s lifestyle and reasons why things haven't been improving for her.

We did have some imaging history, however this isn't necessary for shockwave sessions. Understanding her biomechanics, and how she moves and what compensations are being loaded into the body, we were able to identify what area to use shockwave on, and how to address her loading mechanics in our osteopathy treatment and rehabilitation plan.  

Kate was diagnosed with gluteal tendinopathy, which was supported on her imaging, however it seemed she was irritating it with certain activities that was preventing her from moving forward.

We discussed with her a combined treatment plan including:

• Shockwave therapy

• Osteopathic manual therapy

• Progressive rehabilitation

• Load management strategies

• Movement retraining

All of which are involved in the appointment and homework for between sessions. 

What Does Shockwave Therapy for Hip Pain Feel Like?

Patients often ask this, and it’s a great question. Not many people have heard about shockwave, let alone tried it before.

Shockwave therapy is best described as strong discomfort, not sharp pain. The treatment typically lasts 3-4 minutes per area, and intensity is always guided by patient feedback.

We aim for a therapeutic “sweet spot”:

• Too mild = not effective

• Too intense = unnecessary distress

Descriptions vary. Some say it feels like a massage gun, others say a tattoo gun, And some (including me!) say a jackhammer! BUT, it's that “good/bad pain,” - the type that you know is doing something effective. Like we mentioned, it's all guided by how you feel during the treatment, we back off if it's too much, or we nudge it a bit more if it's needed.

What Does a Session Look Like?

Shockwave therapy typically makes up around 10 minutes of the appointment, maybe 2-3 regions of that 3-4 minute shockwave, depending on your own clinical findings. We may treat:

• The tendon insertion

• Surrounding tissue

• Related biomechanical areas

This is followed by:

• Osteopathic manual therapy including treatment of surrounding regions (hip, pelvis, lower back, legs)

• Correction of biomechanical imbalances

• Rehabilitation exercises

Rehabilitation is a critical component, shockwave stimulates healing, but strength and controlled loading create long-term recovery, especially in tendon related issues (you can read about tendinopathy on our previous blog here!)

What Is Shockwave Therapy Actually Doing?

Shockwave therapy works by:

• Penetrating deep into tendon tissue

• Increasing blood flow

• Stimulating capillary formation

• Promoting tissue regeneration

• Breaking down calcifications

• Reducing pain signalling

• Improving tendon healing response

In chronic tendon pain (over 6 months), the nervous system and tissue structure begins to change. Tendons become stiffer, less adaptive, and slower to heal. This creates the familiar cycle of:

• Stiffness after rest

• Temporary improvement with movement

• Flare-ups with loading

• Repeated and frustrating irritation cycles

Shockwave helps reset the biological healing environment, and also - “stirring the pot” of inflammation to allowing rehab to become effective again.

Treatment Plan

Shockwave therapy is most effective with 3-5 sessions, spaced around 1 week apart. As we mentioned - with combined rehabilitation you will get the most from this. Our pain signals change over 6 weeks, this is a natural response, but for various reasons, this is stalled in some people’s recovery journey. Shockwave works on these pain signals over 6 weeks, where you may notice you can tolerate shockwave better, and become less sore after the sessions - your body is changing!

Kate’s Progress

After the first Session

Kate felt an immediate “different” sensation, a buzzing/numbness feeling, which is a common response and one we want to know about straight off the table. She left the clinic feeling positive and hopeful. 

Treatment 2

Kate reported:

Relief for 1-2 days - this already is big for her, feeling discomfort all day/everyday. She had mild post-treatment soreness (expected and manageable as we discuss this with you during the consult)  Kate had fallen asleep for the first time on her side in months!! However, pain did return after a few days, but at a lower intensity.

This is a very positive early response pattern for shockwave therapy, and very typical - a few hours or days relief after the first appointment means it will most likely work for you!

Treatment 3

Kate noticed she had less aching, less stiffness, easier movement from chairs and improved walking tolerance. Discomfort no longer stopped her on her walks or sitting positions and she could tell things were really shifting for her. We typically say session 3-4 is where you will really notice changes. 

Treatment 4

By session 4, Kate experienced a significant functional shift. She reported approximately 80% improvement, exceeding the benefit she had received from her cortisone injection. She could sleep better, was less grumpy over the day (pain wears you down after a while) and sometimes you only notice how much lighter you feel when the discomfort starts to leave!

Treatment 5

Kate’s feedback was wonderful to hear. She had minimal to almost no hip pain! Sleeping comfortably, walking 1 hour daily without pain and was no longer anxious about long car trips. Kate has been a superstar patient, she was very consistent rehab compliance, and took all information on board to help herself as well. She reports approximately 90% resolution of symptoms.

She described this as the best her hip had felt in a very long time.

Key Clinical Takeaway

Kate’s recovery was driven by the combination of:

• Correct diagnosis

• Shockwave therapy

• Osteopathic treatment

• Progressive rehabilitation

• Education

• Load management

• Consistent patient engagement

Shockwave therapy is not a standalone treatment method, it is an accelerator that allows the body to heal, while rehabilitation builds strength, resilience, and long-term tissue capacity.

Final Message

Tendons don’t heal with rest alone. They heal with controlled loading, correct management, with the addition of manual therapy.

If your hip pain sounds similar to Kate’s experience, book an osteopathy consultation so we can assess your condition and determine whether shockwave therapy is an appropriate treatment option for you.

Book now

FAQ

How many shockwave therapy sessions do I need for hip pain?

Most people require 3–5 sessions, spaced approximately one week apart.

Is shockwave therapy painful?

It's best described as strong discomfort rather than sharp pain. Intensity is always guided by patient feedback.

Can I have shockwave therapy after a cortisone injection?

You need to wait at least 6 weeks after a cortisone injection before shockwave therapy is appropriate.

Does shockwave therapy work for gluteal tendinopathy?

Yes — it is one of the most evidence-supported treatments for chronic tendon pain, particularly when combined with rehabilitation.