Study: Beling et al (2023) Outcomes Using Focused Shockwave for Treatment of Bone Stress Injury in Runners

This retrospective case series study looked at using focused shockwave therapy to treat bone stress injuries (BSI) in runners. BSI are common overuse injuries in longdistance running and can take a long time to heal and keep runners out of their sport.

The researchers reviewed the medical records of 40 runners who received focused shockwave therapy for a bone stress injury between 20182022. On average, the runners received 5 shockwave treatment sessions (range 37) prior to return to run and some required additional booster treatments during return to run progression, with an average of 5 ± 2 focused shockwave treatments total.

The key findings were:
• 98% of the runners (39 out of 40) were able to return to running painfree after shockwave therapy. Only one runner with a severe navicular (foot) stress fracture required surgery.
• Runners with more recent bone stress injuries were able to return to running faster (average 12 weeks) compared to those with delayed healing or nonunions (average 20 weeks).
• The severity of the bone stress injury on MRI scans did not seem to affect return to running times.
• No major complications were reported from the shockwave treatments.
The authors conclude that focused shockwave therapy appears to be a safe and effective treatment option for helping runners recover from bone stress injuries, especially for injuries that are not healing properly with just rest alone. More research is still needed, but these results are promising.