SoftWave Therapy: What Iowa City Patients Should Know
SoftWave is a form of shockwave therapy — acoustic pressure waves applied through the skin to soft tissue. Total Health Chiropractic offers it as one option within a broader plan, most often for tendon and soft tissue complaints, and only when an examination suggests it is appropriate.
Last reviewed September 2026 · Reviewed by Dr. Dillon Hammes, DC
How is shockwave therapy used?
Shockwave devices are used in musculoskeletal clinics for tendon and soft tissue problems that have been slow to settle. Treatment is applied directly over the involved area, usually in short sessions spread over several weeks.
It is a passive therapy, so it is normally combined with active care. For most patients that means chiropractic treatment plus progressive loading and rehabilitation, which is where lasting change in tendon capacity comes from.
Setting expectations honestly
Responses vary between patients and conditions. Anyone promising a guaranteed result from a single therapy is overselling it. The reasonable approach is to define what you want to be able to do again, try a short course, and reassess against that goal.
SoftWave and shockwave questions
What is shockwave therapy?
Shockwave therapy delivers acoustic pressure waves into tissue through a handpiece placed on the skin. It is used in musculoskeletal care for certain tendon and soft tissue complaints. SoftWave is one brand of this technology.
What does a SoftWave session feel like?
Patients usually describe rapid tapping or pulsing at the treated area. Some tenderness during treatment is common, especially over an irritated tendon, and sessions are typically short.
Which problems is it used for?
It is generally applied to soft tissue and tendon-related complaints. Whether it suits your case depends on your examination, and it is often used alongside chiropractic care and rehabilitation rather than by itself.
Is SoftWave therapy right for everyone?
No. It is not appropriate for every patient or every condition, and it is not used over certain areas or with certain medical conditions. Total Health Chiropractic determines suitability during an evaluation.
Wondering whether SoftWave applies to your problem?
Total Health Chiropractic can evaluate the area and tell you honestly whether this therapy — or a different one — makes more sense.