Plantar heel pain
The deepest radial evidence. In a 245-patient placebo-controlled trial, 61% of patients were a treatment success at 12 weeks versus 42% with sham.
Tuesdays · Kinetic Spine & Sport · Mankato, MN
Radial shockwave therapy for tendon pain that won't quit.
Plantar heel pain. Achilles. Tennis elbow. The outside of the hip. A calcific shoulder. If it's been months and nothing has shifted, a short course of shockwave is one of the better-studied next steps. I confirm the target on ultrasound before the first pulse.
No referral needed · HSA/FSA accepted · Treatment begins December 2026 (estimated)
3 to 5treatments, about a week apart
20 minper follow-up visit
$185evaluation, first treatment included
$300four follow-up visits
01 · What it is
Acoustic pulses, aimed at the sore spot.
A handpiece fires rapid pressure pulses through the skin into the tendon or tissue that hurts. It's uncomfortable while the handpiece is on the spot and I turn the intensity to what you can tolerate. No needles, no anesthetic, no downtime. You walk out and go about your day.
Radial shockwave is the type used in most of the published trials on heel pain and tennis elbow. It works from the skin down to a few centimeters, which covers most tendon targets. Deeper or calcified targets get a different conversation at the evaluation.
It is always paired with loading exercise. Shockwave on its own is not a plan.
02 · Who it's for
Where the evidence is strongest.
Tennis elbow
Across 12 randomized trials, shockwave beat sham on pain and grip strength. Strongest in people who've had it over 6 months.
Lateral hip
Beat a cortisone injection at 4 months (68% vs 51% success) and at 15 months (74% vs 48%) in a 229-patient trial.
Achilles
Adding shockwave to a loading program raised the share of patients recovered or much improved at 4 months from 56% to 82%.
Calcific shoulder
Calcifications fully resolved in 87% of treated patients and none of the controls, with less pain and better function at 6 months.
Also treated
Patellar tendinopathy, shin splints, hamstring tendon pain, upper back and neck trigger points.
Results vary by person and by condition. If shockwave is not the right tool for yours, I'll say so at the evaluation and you pay for the evaluation only. Every trial above is listed with a link on the full evidence page.
03 · The visit
Evaluation first. Then a short course.
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1
Evaluate
60 minutes, one-on-one. History, hands-on exam, and musculoskeletal ultrasound to confirm the target and measure its depth so the right applicator is used. Baseline measures. If shockwave fits, you get your first treatment the same visit.
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2
Treat
Four 20-minute follow-ups, about a week apart. Each one is a recheck, the treatment, and a home program if you don't already have one from your provider. You buy the course at the evaluation and use it within 90 days.
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3
Retest
One retest at 12 weeks, included. A scan and your baseline measures again. If you aren't improving after three sessions we change the plan instead of continuing.
Ultrasound findings are documented descriptively within physical therapy practice and are not a medical diagnosis.
04 · Price
Two numbers.
Start here
Shockwave evaluation
$185
- 60 minutes, one-on-one
- Ultrasound to confirm the target
- Baseline measures
- First treatment the same visit
If shockwave fits
Four follow-up treatments
$300 $75 a visit · $485 for the full course
- Four 20-minute visits
- Retest at 12 weeks included
- Use within 90 days
- Single visits $110 if you'd rather pay as you go
Finish early and I refund the rest at $75 a visit whenever you ask. Anything left at day 90 is refunded automatically. Care is never extended to use up a course.
Payment at time of service. HSA/FSA accepted. No insurance billing. 24 hours' notice to reschedule; your first late cancellation is waived. Military, veterans and first responders: 10% off evaluations and visits.
05 · Where
Tuesdays at Kinetic Spine & Sport.
The unit lives at Kinetic Spine & Sport, 1219 Caledonia St., Mankato. I'm there Tuesdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., by appointment.
If Kinetic or another clinic sent you, you stay with them for the rest of your care. I do the shockwave evaluation and the course, and with your permission send a summary back to your provider. No referral is needed to book.
Kinetic Spine & Sport1219 Caledonia St.
Mankato, MN 56001
(507) 204-2326
ethan@enigmadpt.com
Directions
06 · Safety
Who should skip it, and who should tell me first.
Not suitable
Pregnancy. An implanted stimulator near the treatment area. Active infection or open skin at the site. A tumor at the site.
Tell me first
Blood thinners or a bleeding disorder. A steroid injection at the site in the last 6 weeks. Under 18. Cancer elsewhere.
Soreness, redness, or mild bruising at the site for a day or two is common. Treatment is paused if the area is unusually painful or swollen.
07 · FAQ
Questions I get.
Does it hurt?
It's uncomfortable on the sore spot while the handpiece is running, and most people call it tolerable. The intensity starts low and I adjust it to you. Soreness for a day or two afterward is normal.
How many treatments?
Most published protocols use 3 to 5, about a week apart. Here it's the evaluation with the first treatment, then up to four follow-ups. If you aren't improving after three sessions we change the plan.
Why the ultrasound?
To confirm the structure we're treating is the one that's sore, to measure how deep it sits so the right applicator is used, and to find things like calcific deposits that are hard to locate by feel.
Is this the same as focused shockwave?
No. Radial energy is strongest at the skin and spreads outward; focused units concentrate energy at a set depth. Head-to-head trials across tendon conditions have mostly found no meaningful difference, with focused having an edge for some deep or calcified targets. The papers are here.
Is this the same as Softwave?
Softwave is a brand name for a different device class. This is radial shockwave on a STORZ MEDICAL MASTERPULS ultra, the type most of the heel pain and tennis elbow trials used, delivered by a physical therapist with ultrasound to confirm the target.
Do I need a referral?
No. Minnesota law lets you see a physical therapist without one. Many patients come referred by their chiropractor or PT and keep that provider for the rest of their care.
Who is doing the treatment?
Me, Ethan Brinkmann, PT, DPT, RMSK. Doctor of physical therapy with a registered credential in musculoskeletal sonography and fellowship training in musculoskeletal ultrasound. Every visit is one-on-one. The full practice is at enigmadpt.com.
Start with the evaluation.
Tuesdays at Kinetic Spine & Sport · 1219 Caledonia St., Mankato · Treatment begins December 2026 (estimated)