How Many SoftWave Sessions Do You Actually Need?
September 23, 2026
The honest answer: nobody can tell you the exact number before examining you, and any clinic that quotes a package over the phone is guessing. What we can tell you is the range most people fall in, how sessions are spaced, and what has to be true for us to keep going.
The usual range
Acoustic wave therapy is a course of treatment, not a single visit. Most plans run somewhere in the range of a handful of sessions for a recent, straightforward problem up to a longer course for something chronic that has been there for years. Sessions are typically spaced days to a week or so apart, because the tissue response happens between visits, not during them.
Three things move the number: how long you have had the problem, what tissue is involved, and whether the thing that caused it is still happening. A shoulder that has hurt for six weeks behaves very differently from a heel that has hurt for three years.
What progress should look like
- Something changes early — less pain, more range, easier mornings — even if it is small.
- The change holds a little longer after each visit rather than wearing off the same day.
- You can do one thing you could not do before: sleep on that side, climb stairs, grip a bag.
- By your checkpoint visit, the trend is clearly upward, not flat.
Pain is a noisy signal, so we track function too. A flat line by the checkpoint means the plan changes or stops. It does not mean buying more sessions and hoping.
Why we set a checkpoint
At your first treatment Dr. Raby tells you how many sessions she expects and when you will both review it. That review is a real decision point. If it is working, you finish the course. If it is not, we stop and look for what we are missing — which is sometimes a referral for imaging or to another specialist.
That approach follows the general principle in conservative care guidance: reassess, do not just repeat. It is also why we do not sell large prepaid blocks up front.
What it costs
SoftWave is self-pay. It is not covered by insurance or Medicare, and prices are subject to change. You get per-session and course pricing in writing after your exam, before you commit to anything beyond the $49 new patient visit, which already includes your first treatment. Our SoftWave vs. shockwave post explains what you are actually paying for.
Getting an actual number
Come in, get examined, and leave with a plan and a price. That is the only way to get a number that means anything. Book online or call the office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I stop partway through a course?
Yes. You are not locked into a plan, and we do not require large prepayments. If you want to stop at any point, you stop.
How far apart are sessions?
Usually several days to about a week. The response to acoustic wave therapy develops between visits, so stacking them closer together does not speed things up.
Does insurance cover SoftWave?
No. SoftWave is a self-pay service and is not billed to insurance or Medicare. Other services in the office may be covered — the front desk will go through that with you.