Shockwave

Short answer: A heel spur is a small bony ledge on the bottom of the heel bone, and plantar fasciitis is irritation of the thick band of tissue that attaches right next to it. The two often show up together, but the pain usually comes from the overloaded tissue, not the spur itself, which is…

Short answer: Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) is a worn-out, overloaded tendon on the inside of the elbow that hurts when you grip, swing, lift, or bend your wrist. It usually gets better without surgery or repeated cortisone shots. At Adisi Health Center in Hinsdale, Dr. Steve Petzel treats it with Storz Medical radial and focused…

Short answer: Runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain) is an aching pain around or behind the kneecap that flares with running, stairs, squatting, or sitting for a long time. It usually gets better without surgery. At Adisi Health Center in Hinsdale, Dr. Steve Petzel treats it by combining Storz Medical shockwave therapy, the 40-watt LightForce XLi Class…

Short answer: A review published October 19, 2026 in Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift examined extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) for four common lower-body tendon problems: outer hip pain (greater trochanteric pain syndrome), quadriceps and patellar tendon pain at the knee, and Achilles tendon pain. The author, who leads the German-speaking shockwave society DIGEST, concluded that shockwave supports…

Short answer: If your heel hurts most with your first steps out of bed, or after you sit and stand up again, plantar fasciitis is a likely cause. When stretching, new shoes, and rest haven’t fixed it, shockwave therapy is one of the best-studied non-surgical options. At Adisi Health Center in Hinsdale, Dr. Steve Petzel…

Short answer: Shockwave therapy (extracorporeal shockwave therapy, or ESWT) sends acoustic pulses into the tissues around an arthritic knee to calm pain and improve movement. A placebo-controlled trial from Beijing and several meta-analyses, including large reviews from China and Taiwan, found ESWT reduced knee osteoarthritis pain and improved function scores, with no serious side effects…

Short answer: Shockwave therapy is one of the better-studied non-surgical options for stubborn tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis). Recent meta-analyses found it reduced pain more than placebo, and that it beat cortisone injections at 3 and 6 months, even though cortisone works faster in the first month. At Adisi Health Center in Hinsdale, Dr. Steve Petzel…