Hamstring tendinopathy
Pain at your sit bone when sitting or sprinting. Exercise therapy is the basis, and your physio can add shockwave.
Physiotherapy · Shockwave
Shockwave therapy
At Physical Studio in Amsterdam, your physiotherapist uses shockwave for tendon pain that has lasted three months or more and has not improved enough with exercise therapy. You book a regular appointment. Billed through your insurance, shockwave carries no surcharge. If you pay yourself, a separate rate applies; see our rates page.
Book a physiotherapy appointment. Your therapist assesses whether shockwave suits your complaint.
3–5sessions, one a week
€0surcharge when billed to insurance
Directaccess, no referral needed
About the treatment
What is shockwave therapy?
Shockwave therapy is also called ESWT, short for extracorporeal shockwave therapy. Your physiotherapist places a handpiece with a little gel on your skin and sends short pressure waves to the painful tendon. Everything happens on the outside of your body.
Shockwave is one part of your rehab plan. Exercise therapy stays the basis, and with it you build up the load on your tendon step by step. Your physiotherapist adds shockwave when your tendon has responded too little to that plan after several months.
Indications
When is shockwave therapy used?
How it works
How a session works
01
Assessment
Your physiotherapist asks about your complaint, your sport and your work, and examines you. If it helps, your physiotherapist also looks at the tendon with ultrasound.
02
Deciding together
You discuss together whether shockwave suits your complaint. If your complaint is only a few weeks old, you usually start with exercise therapy and advice on load.
03
Treatment
Your physiotherapist places the handpiece with gel on the painful spot and raises the intensity in agreement with you. This can happen in the same appointment as the assessment.
04
Exercise and review
Between sessions you do your exercises, at home or in the studio. Along the way you and your physiotherapist check whether the plan works and adjust it where needed.
Our team
Book directly with one of our physiotherapists
Reviews
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does shockwave therapy hurt?
It can be painful during treatment. Your physiotherapist starts at a low intensity and raises it in agreement with you. Afterwards the area may be red, swollen or tender for a short time.
How many shockwave sessions will I need?
Usually three to five, one week apart. Your physiotherapist matches the number to your complaint and your progress. Expect the effect to build over weeks to months, and keep doing your exercises during that time.
Does shockwave therapy work?
For calcific shoulder and plantar fasciitis, a Dutch guideline names shockwave as an option when exercise therapy falls short, although the Dutch GP guideline advises against it for plantar fasciitis. For the other complaints the research is mixed. Exercise therapy stays the basis, and there is no guarantee of recovery.
Do you charge extra for shockwave?
Billed through your insurance, shockwave carries no surcharge. If you pay yourself, a separate rate applies; see our rates page.
Is shockwave therapy covered by insurance?
Your insurer treats the appointment as regular physiotherapy: for adults, supplementary insurance usually covers a number of sessions, depending on your package. Tendon complaints are not on the list of chronic conditions, so basic insurance does not pay for adults. Under 18, basic insurance covers the first 9 sessions, with up to 9 more if needed.
Do I need a GP referral?
No. You can book an appointment yourself, without a referral. At the intake your physiotherapist checks whether your complaint suits physiotherapy, or whether you should see your GP first.
Can I book a shockwave session directly?
You book a regular physiotherapy appointment, because nearly all our physiotherapists can deliver shockwave. Your physiotherapist assesses your complaint first and can apply shockwave in the same appointment if it fits. You will know whether it suits you after the assessment.
Who should not have shockwave therapy?
Your physiotherapist does not use shockwave during pregnancy, over a malignant tumour or an infection, with a pacemaker or other electronic implant, or over the growth plates of children and teenagers. If you take blood thinners or have a clotting disorder, discuss it at your intake.
Is Physical Studio a shockwave center?
Physical Studio is a physiotherapy practice in Amsterdam Centrum. Shockwave is part of your physiotherapy here, without a referral. Billed through your insurance, it carries no surcharge; if you pay yourself, a separate rate applies, listed on our rates page. Your physiotherapist combines it with exercise therapy.
Ready to get started?
Discuss shockwave therapy during your physiotherapy intake. No referral needed.