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Can Focused Shockwave Therapy Help Hip or Knee Arthritis?

Jun 15, 2025 | News | 0 comments

Emerging Evidence Suggests It Might

At Spine Plus Clinics, we’ve been successfully using shockwave therapy for many years to help patients with tendon injuries. But increasingly, research is showing that focused shockwave therapy (fESWT) may also offer important benefits for people suffering with early hip arthritis, knee arthritis (osteoarthritis), and cartilage wear (chondromalacia).

If you’re searching for effective non-surgical treatment for knee arthritis or hip osteoarthritis, here’s why focused shockwave therapy may be worth considering.

✅ Shockwave Therapy: Tendon Treatment Evolved

Shockwave therapy was originally developed to treat conditions such as:

  • Patellar tendinopathy (“jumper’s knee”)

  • Achilles tendinopathy

  • Plantar fasciitis

  • Tennis and golfer’s elbow

  • Rotator cuff tendinopathy

In these conditions, the controlled microtrauma caused by shockwaves helps stimulate tissue healing, collagen regeneration, and improved blood flow.

✅ Focused vs Radial Shockwave: What’s The Difference?

When researching shockwave for arthritis, it’s important to understand that not all shockwave machines are the same.

Feature Radial Shockwave Focused Shockwave
Energy type Pneumatic (lower energy) Electromagnetic or piezoelectric (higher energy)
Depth of penetration Shallow (~1–2 cm) Deeper (up to 6–8 cm)
Precision Broad dispersion Highly focused beam
Comfort during treatment Often uncomfortable Generally better tolerated
Ability to target joints Limited Excellent

Radial shockwave is typically more suited for superficial tendon or soft tissue problems.
Focused shockwave allows us to treat deeper structures like the hip joint, knee joint, cartilage surfaces, and subchondral bone with greater precision.

At Spine Plus Clinics, we use modern focused shockwave systems at our Chigwell,  Woodford and Kennington clinics to target affected joint structures safely and comfortably.

✅ The Emerging Role of Focused Shockwave in Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is not just about cartilage “wear and tear”. It’s increasingly recognised that chronic inflammation of the synovium (joint lining), nerve irritation, and subchondral bone changes all contribute to the progression of arthritis.

This is where focused shockwave therapy may offer exciting new benefits.

1️⃣ Neurogenic Inflammation Suppression

Many OA patients suffer from persistent joint inflammation driven by irritated C-fibres and Aδ-fibres — tiny nerve fibres that release chemicals like Substance P and CGRP. These substances promote:

  • Synovitis (joint lining inflammation)

  • Ongoing cartilage damage

  • Increased joint pain sensitivity

Focused shockwave therapy appears to downregulate these nerve fibres, reducing pain and helping calm the inflammatory process that can accelerate joint degeneration.

2️⃣ Synovitis Modulation: Reducing Swelling and Inflammation

Several studies now show that repeated focused shockwave sessions can reduce:

  • Synovial membrane thickening

  • Joint effusion (fluid build-up)

  • Overactivity of matrix-degrading enzymes (MMPs) that break down cartilage

This may help slow the progression of arthritis while relieving pain and stiffness.

3️⃣ Cartilage Protective Effects

In laboratory and animal studies, focused shockwave has been shown to stimulate:

  • TGF-β1: an anabolic growth factor that may support cartilage matrix production

  • VEGF: controlled blood vessel growth to support subchondral bone health

  • SOX-9: a key gene regulator for healthy cartilage formation

While more human studies are ongoing, early results suggest that focused shockwave may help preserve cartilage and joint function, especially when applied early in the disease process.

Summary of How Focused Shockwave May Help Joint Arthritis

Mechanism Focused Shockwave Impact
Nerve-related inflammation ✅ Downregulated
Joint lining inflammation ✅ Reduced
Catabolic enzymes (MMPs) ✅ Reduced
Cartilage-protective signalling ✅ Stimulated
Subchondral bone blood flow ✅ Improved

Why Focused Shockwave May Be a Valuable Part of Early Arthritis Treatment

For patients with:

  • Hip osteoarthritis

  • Knee osteoarthritis

  • Cartilage thinning or chondromalacia

  • Early signs of joint degeneration

Focused shockwave may offer a non-surgical way to:

  • Control pain

  • Reduce inflammation

  • Support joint longevity

  • Delay the need for joint replacement surgery

It can be safely combined with exercise therapy, weight management, joint supplements, and biological injections where appropriate.

Contact Us To Book Your Focused Shockwave Assessment

At Spine Plus Clinics, we are one of the few centres offering specialist focused shockwave therapy for arthritis and joint preservation.

If you’re searching for non-surgical arthritis treatment in London or Essex, or want to explore whether focused shockwave could help your hip or knee osteoarthritis, call us today to schedule a consultation:

020 8501 0937
www.spineplus.co.uk

Early treatment may help preserve your joint health and keep you active for years to come.