Radial pressure wave therapy (RPW)

Radial Pressure Wave Therapy is a non-invasive, device-based therapeutic approach that emits low-energy ballistic acoustic (pressure) waves into soft tissues. These waves spread radially from a central impact point and are used to stimulate blood flow, promote tissue repair, alleviate chronic pain, and help in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions such as tendinopathies, muscle strains, and trigger points. Mechanistically, the ballistic waves induce microtrauma, increase local circulation, promote cellular metabolism, encourage angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels), and initiate the body’s natural healing response. The term "radial shockwave" is a commonly used misnomer; the pulses are longer and less intense than true shock waves and are most effective in treating superficial and moderately deep tissues (up to ~5 cm). Radial Pressure Wave Therapy is a therapeutic modality—not a molecule, receptor, or traditional drug target. Therefore, most fields typically provided for a molecular target (such as molecular classification, disease associations, interacting drugs, or biomarkers) are not applicable. The entry as a "target" is incorrect: the therapy itself acts on biological tissues but does not represent a molecular or protein target.

Other names

Radial shockwave therapyAcoustic wave therapyExtracorporeal pulse activation technology (EPAT)rESWT (radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy; note: not a true shock wave)Radial pressure therapy