Rehab Services · Park Ridge, IL
SHOCKWAVE THERAPY IN PARK RIDGE
Shockwave therapy (ESWT) uses acoustic pressure waves to restart healing in chronic tendon injuries: plantar fasciitis, Achilles and patellar tendinopathy, tennis elbow, calcific shoulder, and hip pain. Non-invasive, no downtime. 30-minute sessions for $105 at Moonshot Medical, 542 Busse Hwy. Book online, no referral needed.
SHOCKWAVE QUICK FACTS
Cost
$105
Session
30 min
Typical course
3 to 8 sessions
Downtime
None
CONDITIONS SHOCKWAVE TREATS
Shockwave is for the tendon that has hurt for months, not the one you tweaked last week. If rest, stretching, orthotics, or a cortisone shot did not hold, you are the patient it was built for.
Plantar Fasciitis
Sharp heel pain with the first steps of the morning. The most studied shockwave indication.
65 to 80% respond in reviews
Achilles Tendinopathy
Stiff, thickened tendon that aches on stairs and early in a run. Mid-portion and insertional both respond.
Pairs with eccentric loading
Tennis & Golfer's Elbow
Outer or inner elbow pain with gripping and lifting that bracing did not fix.
60 to 75% improvement rates
Patellar Tendinopathy
Jumper's knee. Pain at the bottom of the kneecap with squats, jumping, and stairs.
Common in CrossFit and court sports
Calcific Shoulder Tendinitis
Calcium deposits in the rotator cuff. Shockwave fragments the deposit and drives reabsorption.
Over 80% resorption in trials
Hip & Hamstring Tendinopathy
Outer hip pain lying on your side (trochanteric bursitis) or deep buttock pain sitting and sprinting.
Chronic cases, 3+ months
Not sure your problem is on this list? Book a session anyway. The intake form describes your pain to a provider before you arrive, and if shockwave is not the right tool we refund the session and point you to rehab, dry needling, or trigger point injections instead.
WHY A CHRONIC TENDON STOPS HEALING, AND HOW SHOCKWAVE RESTARTS IT
Acute injuries heal because inflammation brings blood, growth factors, and repair cells to the site. A tendon that has hurt for six months has usually exited that phase. The tissue is degenerated, poorly vascularized, and the body has stopped treating it as a problem worth fixing.
Shockwave delivers controlled mechanical stress that the tissue reads as a fresh injury. That triggers new blood vessel growth, growth factor release, breakdown of calcified deposits, and a reset of local pain signaling. You are not masking the pain. You are giving the tendon a second chance to finish healing.
The technology started as a way to break kidney stones without surgery. Decades of orthopedic research later, ESWT is one of the most evidence-backed non-invasive options for chronic tendinopathy.
What the acoustic waves do
- •Stimulate neovascularization, new blood vessels into avascular tendon
- •Release growth factors (eNOS, VEGF, BMP) that drive repair
- •Fragment calcium deposits so the body can reabsorb them
- •Disrupt substance P pain signaling for lasting relief
HOW BOOKING WORKS
No consult appointment to sit through first. A licensed provider reviews your case before you arrive so your first visit is a treatment, not a conversation.
Book online
Pick a 30-minute slot at least 24 hours out and prepay $105.
Complete the intake
Five minutes on your phone: where it hurts, how long, what you have tried, and a safety screen.
Provider review
A licensed Moonshot provider confirms shockwave fits your case and documents your plan. Not a fit? Full refund.
Get treated
A trained shockwave technician runs your session. Walk out and get on with your day.
SHOCKWAVE PRICING
A single 30-minute shockwave treatment is $105. The 6-Treatment Recovery Program is $570 and the 8-Treatment Recovery Program is $720. Programs are prepaid at your first visit and valid for 6 months. Self-pay; HSA and FSA cards accepted.
Single Treatment
$105
One 30-minute session. Book online.
Best for a first session or a single flare-up
6-Treatment Program
$570
$95 per treatment. Save $60.
Most plantar fasciitis, elbow, and Achilles protocols
8-Treatment Program
$720
$90 per treatment. Save $120.
Calcific shoulder, chronic patellar, and stubborn cases
Programs are added at your first visit once a provider has confirmed the plan. Refund on the first session if you are not a candidate.
SHOCKWAVE VS THE ALTERNATIVES
Where ESWT sits next to the other things people try for a tendon that will not heal.
| Option | What it does | Heals tissue? | Downtime | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shockwave (ESWT) | Mechanical stimulus that restarts the healing cascade | Yes | None | Chronic tendinopathy, 3+ months, before surgery |
| Cortisone injection | Suppresses inflammation for fast relief | No; repeated shots weaken tendon | Minimal | Short-term relief; worse 6 to 12 month outcomes in elbow studies |
| PRP injection | Injects concentrated platelets and growth factors | Yes | Days | Similar goal, needle-based; can follow shockwave |
| Physical therapy alone | Loading programs rebuild tendon capacity | Yes, slowly | None | Always part of the plan; shockwave breaks the plateau |
| Surgery | Debridement, release, or repair | Yes | Weeks to months | After ESWT fails; comparable success for plantar fasciitis with far more risk |
Best outcomes in the research come from shockwave combined with a targeted loading program, not either one alone. Every shockwave patient at Moonshot leaves with the exercises that go with it. For stubborn cases, BPC-157 peptide therapy supports tissue repair through a separate mechanism.
WHO TREATS YOU
Dr. Michael Gontarek
DC, MSc, DACBN · Clinical oversight
Sports and rehab chiropractor, McKenzie Method certified. Sets the shockwave protocols, reviews cases that need a hands-on exam, and builds the rehab plan around your sessions.
Sarah DeCicco
NASM-CPT, CrossFit L1 · Shockwave technician
Runs your sessions and the loading work that goes with them. Also our DEXA operator and nutrition coach, so the rest of your recovery is one conversation away.
Every shockwave visit is reviewed and documented by a licensed Moonshot provider before treatment, as Illinois requires. You get a real clinical plan without waiting weeks for a consult slot.
WHO SHOULD NOT GET SHOCKWAVE
The intake form screens for each of these. If one applies, a provider will reach out before your visit.
- •Pregnancy
- •Blood clotting disorders or blood thinners (warfarin, Eliquis, Xarelto)
- •Active infection, open wound, or rash at the treatment site
- •Tumor or cancer in or near the area
- •Open growth plates (under 18)
- •Cortisone injection at the site within the last 6 weeks
- •Recent fracture or surgery at the site (last 3 months)
- •Pacemaker or implanted electronic device
AFTER YOUR SESSION
- •Expect soreness for 1 to 2 days. That is the healing response you paid for.
- •Skip anti-inflammatories for 48 hours. Ibuprofen and naproxen blunt the effect. Ice for comfort is fine.
- •Light activity same day, no high-impact for 48 hours. Walk, cycle, swim. Save the box jumps.
- •Do the loading exercises. Shockwave opens the window; the exercises are what rebuild the tendon.
- •Give it 6 to 12 weeks. Some people feel better after session one. The tissue change is what lasts, and it takes time.
SHOCKWAVE THERAPY NEAR YOU
Moonshot Medical and Performance, 542 Busse Hwy, Park Ridge, IL 60068. Two blocks east of Lutheran General Hospital, free parking on site, five minutes from the Dee Road Metra.
Patients drive in for shockwave from Des Plaines, Niles, Edison Park, Norwood Park, Rosemont, Skokie, Glenview, Mount Prospect, and the Northwest Side of Chicago. Sessions are 30 minutes, so most people fit them around work.
SHOCKWAVE THERAPY FAQ
How much does shockwave therapy cost in Park Ridge?
A single 30-minute treatment is $105. The 6-Treatment Recovery Program is $570 ($95 each) and the 8-Treatment Recovery Program is $720 ($90 each). Programs are prepaid and valid for 6 months. Self-pay; HSA and FSA cards accepted.
How many sessions will I need?
Most chronic tendon conditions respond in 3 to 6 sessions about a week apart. Calcific shoulder and long-standing patellar tendinopathy may need 6 to 8. Some patients feel a change after the first session; the full result develops over 6 to 12 weeks as the tissue remodels.
Does it hurt?
It feels like rapid, firm tapping over the sore spot. Uncomfortable but tolerable for most people, and the intensity is adjusted to you. Soreness for a day or two afterward is normal.
Do I need a referral or a consult first?
No referral. Book online at least 24 hours ahead, complete the intake, and a licensed provider reviews it before you arrive. If you are not a candidate, the session is refunded.
Is shockwave better than a cortisone shot?
Different jobs. Cortisone calms inflammation fast but does not heal the tendon, and repeated shots weaken it. Shockwave stimulates repair, so the improvement is slower and lasts. If you already had a cortisone shot and the pain came back, shockwave is usually the better next step, after a 6-week gap.
Does shockwave work for plantar fasciitis?
It is the most studied indication. Systematic reviews report meaningful pain reduction in roughly 65 to 80 percent of chronic heel-pain patients who did not respond to stretching, orthotics, or rest. Most orthopedic guidelines recommend it before surgery.
Do you take insurance?
Shockwave is self-pay at $105 per session. Most plans do not cover ESWT. HSA and FSA cards work, and we provide an itemized receipt on request.
Can I train the same day?
Light activity, yes. Avoid high-impact work on the treated area for 48 hours and skip ibuprofen or naproxen for the same window. Keep up the loading exercises your provider gives you.
Want the deep dive? Read the full shockwave therapy guide and our Park Ridge local guide with references.
DONE WAITING FOR IT TO HEAL ON ITS OWN?
Chronic tendon pain does not fix itself after month six. 30 minutes, $105, no referral, provider-reviewed before you walk in.