SoftWave Therapy vs. Cortisone Injections: How to Think About the Choice
September 23, 2026
The short version: a cortisone injection is very good at one thing — turning down pain and inflammation quickly. SoftWave is a slower, non-invasive course of treatment aimed at the tissue itself. They are not direct competitors, and plenty of people end up using one, then the other. Here is how to think about it without the sales pitch from either side.
What a cortisone injection does
A corticosteroid injection puts a potent anti-inflammatory directly into a joint or around an irritated tendon. OrthoInfo explains that it can relieve pain and inflammation for weeks to months, and that it is often used to make physical therapy and rehab tolerable.
The trade-offs are also well documented: relief is usually temporary, the number of injections into one area is limited, and repeated steroid exposure around tendons carries risk of tissue weakening. Short-term side effects can include a post-injection flare and, for people with diabetes, a temporary rise in blood sugar.
What SoftWave does
SoftWave therapy is non-invasive: no needle, no drug. Broad, low-intensity acoustic pressure waves pass into the tissue from a handheld applicator. The OrthoGold 100 is FDA 510(k) cleared for relief of minor muscle aches and pains, temporary increase in local blood circulation, and activation of connective tissue. Our explainer covers exactly what that clearance says.
It is a course, not a single event. Change builds over several sessions rather than arriving the same afternoon, and there is no downtime between visits.
Side by side
- Speed: cortisone is faster. SoftWave builds over weeks.
- Invasiveness: cortisone is an injection. SoftWave is applied on the skin.
- Repeatability: injections into one area are limited. SoftWave sessions are not limited the same way.
- Cost and coverage: injections are usually billable to insurance. SoftWave is self-pay.
- Downtime: both are minimal, though a steroid flare can make the first day or two uncomfortable.
How to decide
If pain is severe enough that you cannot sleep or start rehab, an injection from your physician can be the sensible first move — it buys a window to do the real work in. If you are managing, or you have already had injections into that area and want to avoid more, a non-invasive course is a reasonable thing to try before escalating.
Either way, the thing that actually determines the outcome is what you do with the window: the loading, the mechanics and the habits that caused the problem. Neither a needle nor an applicator fixes a shoulder you keep re-injuring.
What we will and won't tell you
We will not advise you to skip a treatment your physician recommends, and we do not position SoftWave as a replacement for medical care. If your exam suggests you need imaging, an orthopedic opinion or a procedure, Dr. Raby says so. Start with the $49 new patient visit — consultation, exam and first treatment included — and decide from there. Book online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have SoftWave after a cortisone injection?
Usually yes, but timing matters and it depends on what was injected and where. Tell Dr. Raby at your consultation when and where you had the injection so she can plan around it.
Is SoftWave a replacement for surgery?
No. It is a conservative option that some people try before considering a procedure. If your condition needs surgical evaluation, you need a surgeon's opinion, and we will say so rather than talk you into sessions.
Why isn't SoftWave covered by insurance?
Acoustic wave therapy is generally treated as a non-covered service by insurers and Medicare, so it is self-pay. You will have the pricing in writing before committing to anything beyond the new patient visit.