Shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a non-invasive treatment that delivers acoustic pressure waves through the skin to chronic tendon and soft-tissue problems — plantar fasciitis, heel pain, Achilles tendonitis, tennis elbow and shoulder tendon pain. It is typically considered for people whose pain has not settled with rest, stretching, medication or physical therapy. Richter Family Chiropractic runs three Storz Medical devices — radial shockwave (RSWT), focused shockwave (F-SW), and the Storz Magnetolith EMTT system. Having radial and focused under one roof means the device is chosen by what your examination finds, not by what the office happens to own.
ShockWave therapy is applied to chronic tendon, muscle and soft-tissue conditions — frequently in patients who have already worked through rest, stretching, injections or physical therapy. Whether it fits your case is decided by your examination, not by the condition name alone.
Each of the options below helps some people, and several of them may still belong in your care. They work on different parts of the problem — and if one of them had settled your pain for good, you probably would not be reading this page.
Medication can make a flared-up tendon manageable while you work out what is wrong, and that is a legitimate role for it. What it works on is the pain signal and the inflammation around it rather than the condition of the tissue. Many patients tell us the problem is waiting for them when the bottle runs out.
An injection can quiet an irritated area, and for some people that window is genuinely enough. For others the discomfort returns once it wears off, and they come to us wanting an approach aimed at the tissue itself rather than another round.
Backing off an aggravating activity is sensible, and for a recent strain it is often all that is needed. Where patients get frustrated is with problems that have been going for months — resting calms things down, and the same pain reappears the moment the load comes back.
Stretching and loading work are valuable, and your doctor will very likely have you keep doing them. They build capacity and flexibility over time, which is a different mechanism than acoustic pressure waves applied directly to chronically irritated tissue. The two are usually complementary.
PT builds the strength and control that protect a joint long-term, and it is worthwhile work. It uses a different mechanism than shockwave. In chronic tendon cases the two tend to sit alongside each other rather than compete, which is why we ask what you have already done.
Adjustment addresses joint motion and how load is distributed through the chain above and below the painful area, and it does that well. It is not the same mechanism as shockwave applied to the tissue itself. For chronic soft-tissue cases our doctors generally combine them rather than relying on any single one.
Dr. Richter has been in practice 29+ years as a DC. ShockWave here is not one machine applied to everything that walks in — it is three Storz Medical devices, and the decision about which one to use, at what depth, and whether EMTT belongs alongside it, comes out of your examination. Dr. William Choi also sees patients in this office.
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There are three shockwave systems here, and which of them applies to you — if any — is decided by what your examination finds.
A radial pressure wave device. Energy is delivered at the skin surface and disperses over a broader, shallower area — used across larger muscle regions and more superficial soft tissue.
A focused shockwave device. Energy is concentrated at a selected depth rather than spread across the surface — used when the target tissue, such as a tendon insertion or a calcification, sits deeper and more precisely located.
Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy — a high-energy pulsed electromagnetic field device used for musculoskeletal conditions. It is contact-free, and is commonly applied in the same visit as shockwave.
Which device is used, and at what depth, comes out of the examination — where the tissue sits, how deep it is, how large an area is involved, and how it responds once treatment is under way. Offices with one machine make that decision differently.
ShockWave and EMTT are modalities within an overall plan, not a standalone product. They are combined with adjustments and rehabilitation so that joint motion and load through the area are addressed as well as the tissue itself.
The office also has two Class IV therapeutic lasers, including a 40-watt LightForce deep tissue unit, and computer-driven spinal decompression. Which of these apply to you is a case-by-case decision.
No surprises. Here's exactly how it works from your first call to your recovery.
Most people asking about shockwave have already tried rest, anti-inflammatories, stretching, PT or an injection. The $59 New Patient Exam is how you find out what is actually driving the problem and whether shockwave is appropriate for it.
Visit 1 · ~30-35 minYour doctor examines the area, assesses the joints and tissue above and below it, and reviews imaging if you have it or orders it if clinically indicated. That is what determines whether shockwave is indicated at all and, if so, whether radial, focused, or both fit your case.
Visit 1 · Same dayOn Visit 2 your doctor lays it out in full: what the examination showed, which therapies are indicated, how they are sequenced, and the exact cost. If this office is not the right fit for your case, you will be told and pointed toward appropriate care.
Visit 2 · Included in $59Gel is applied and the handpiece is placed against the treatment area. Most patients feel a firm, rapid tapping. The energy level is set from your examination findings and stays under your doctor's control throughout, adjusted deliberately as the tissue responds. EMTT, when used, is applied without direct contact.
Precisely controlledShockWave is typically delivered as a series rather than a single visit. Your doctor monitors how you respond between sessions and adjusts the plan — including which device is used — to your findings rather than to a fixed package.
Individualized care planAfter your evaluation, if our protocols aren't a good fit, your doctor will tell you honestly — and help point you in the right direction. That's the Richter Family Chiropractic promise.
You may be a candidate if you have:
We'll tell you honestly if we can't help with:
The only way to know definitively is a full evaluation. Your doctor will assess your condition and give you an honest answer — for just $59.
Book My New Patient Exam →No obligation · A straight answer, even if it's not us
Take the first step — a full New Patient Exam with one of our doctors for just $59. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help.
Book My New Patient Exam →Shockwave therapy — also called extracorporeal shockwave therapy, or ESWT — uses acoustic pressure waves delivered through a handpiece placed against the skin. It is non-invasive, requires no injection and no anesthetic, and is used in the care of chronic tendon, muscle and soft-tissue conditions. This office uses Storz Medical equipment and runs both device types, radial and focused.
Most patients describe a rapid tapping or thumping against the treatment area, often with an audible click from the handpiece. A small amount of gel is used so the applicator moves over the skin. You stay dressed apart from exposing the area being treated, and you are awake and talking with your doctor throughout.
Shockwave is something you feel. Most patients describe a firm, rapid tapping through the area being treated, and tissue that is already irritated registers it more sharply — that is expected. What it is not is arbitrary. Because both radial and focused devices are in this building, your doctor selects the device, the applicator and the energy level from your examination findings and the tissue involved, then holds them under deliberate control for the whole session, adjusting with intent as the work progresses. You stay in conversation with your doctor throughout, so your response is read as treatment proceeds rather than assumed. The session is delivered at the level the tissue calls for — calibrated, not dialed to a default.
Shockwave isn't used during pregnancy, over an area with an active infection or a tumor, or for people with a blood-clotting disorder. If you have a pacemaker or another implanted electronic device, that is screened for before EMTT. Your doctor goes through your history at the examination before any session, and if shockwave isn't right for you, you will be told.
The most common downside is short-lived soreness, redness or mild swelling in the treated area for a day or two. A session can be uncomfortable while it's happening, and the intensity is adjusted to what you can tolerate. Not every condition responds to shockwave, which is why the examination comes first.
Radial shockwave (RSWT) delivers its energy at the skin surface, where it disperses over a broader and shallower area. Focused shockwave (F-SW) concentrates its energy at a selected depth instead of spreading it across the surface, so it can be aimed more precisely. They suit different tissue and different depths. Because both are in this building, the choice is made from your examination findings instead.
That depends on your findings, and any office quoting you a number before examining you is guessing. Shockwave is typically delivered as a series rather than a single visit. Your doctor tells you the plan — what is indicated, how it is sequenced, and what it costs — on your second visit, after the examination, rather than after you have already started.
EMTT stands for Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy. The Storz Magnetolith is a high-energy pulsed electromagnetic field device used for musculoskeletal conditions. Unlike shockwave, it is contact-free — nothing presses against the treatment area — and it uses an electromagnetic field rather than acoustic pressure waves. It is often applied in the same visit as shockwave when your doctor considers both appropriate.
Shockwave pricing is not published, because the cost depends on what your examination shows is indicated and how it fits with the rest of your care — a figure quoted before anyone has examined you is a guess. You are given the full cost before you start anything, once your findings have been reviewed. The office will also go over what your insurance covers, and you are welcome to call and ask before booking.
Many insurance plans treat shockwave for muscle, tendon and foot conditions as not medically necessary or as investigational, so coverage is limited and varies by plan. Some plans cover other parts of your visit, such as the examination. The front desk will check what your plan covers before you start, and you will know the full cost up front.
It depends on your plan — some policies cover shockwave for plantar fasciitis and others do not, so there is no general answer. Richter Family Chiropractic accepts cash payment, insurance, and attorney liens on personal-injury cases. Call the office at (951) 817-9815 and the front desk will go over what your plan covers before you commit to anything.
Neither is better in general — they do different jobs. Massage works by hand on muscle tension and is a reasonable choice for general tightness and recovery. Shockwave delivers acoustic pressure waves into a specific tendon or soft-tissue site, and is used for chronic problems that have not settled with conservative care. They are not competitors: your examination decides whether shockwave is indicated, and massage can continue alongside it.
Shockwave is used mainly for tendon and soft-tissue problems rather than for the arthritis inside a joint. Foot pain put down to arthritis often has a soft-tissue part — an irritated plantar fascia, Achilles or tendon insertion alongside the joint — and that part may be suitable for shockwave, which can be combined with Class IV laser therapy. Whether it applies to your foot is decided at your examination, and if it does not, you will be told.
Dr. Richter treats athletes regularly — runners, weekend competitors, high-school and club athletes, and adults whose training keeps aggravating the same tendon. Shockwave is used here for the chronic tendon and soft-tissue problems that come with repetitive load, such as Achilles tendonitis, tennis and golfer's elbow, shin splints and stubborn shoulder or knee pain. Whether it is right for your injury depends on your examination.