London shockwave therapy for tendon and heel pain
For heel, Achilles, elbow, shoulder and hip tendon pain that has not settled after months of rehabilitation. London Shockwave Therapy arranges an assessment, usually within a few days, at four UNTIL clubs in central London, from Liverpool Street to Marylebone.
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Four UNTIL clubs
Liverpool Street, Soho, Marylebone and Canary Wharf
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Open from 06:00
Monday to Friday at all four clubs
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Assessed first
A clinician examines you before any course is agreed
Where it is used
What is shockwave therapy used for? Tendon and heel conditions, one page each
Shockwave is used in the United Kingdom for tendon and heel problems that have not settled with rehabilitation. Each page below sets out what UK guidance concluded for that condition and where a course belongs. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy covers the treatment itself, the conditions hub compares them, and the shockwave therapy glossary defines the terms.
Plantar Fasciitis
Shockwave therapy for plantar fasciitis is a second-line treatment for heel pain that has not settled after months of loading and stretching. The London Shockwave Therapy team arranges an assessment and, where it suits you, a course with a clinician at whichever of the four UNTIL clubs in central London you choose. NICE calls the evidence on efficacy inconsistent.
Achilles Tendinopathy
Shockwave therapy for Achilles tendinopathy is used when midportion or insertional Achilles pain has not settled with a proper loading programme. The London Shockwave Therapy team arranges an assessment and, where it suits you, a course with a clinician at whichever of the four UNTIL clubs you choose. NICE calls the efficacy evidence inconsistent and limited in quality and quantity.
Tennis Elbow
Shockwave therapy for tennis elbow is used when pain on the outside of the elbow has lasted months despite strengthening and changes to grip. The London Shockwave Therapy team arranges an assessment and, where it suits you, a course with a clinician at whichever of the four UNTIL clubs in central London you choose. NICE calls the efficacy evidence inconsistent.
Gluteal Tendinopathy
Gluteal tendinopathy, often called hip bursitis, causes pain on the outside of the hip that is worse lying on that side. The London Shockwave Therapy team arranges an assessment with a clinician at whichever of the four UNTIL clubs in central London you choose, and NICE guidance on shockwave for it is the most cautious of the four.
Calcific Shoulder Tendinopathy
Calcific tendonitis is calcium deposited in a rotator cuff tendon, and it can make a shoulder severely painful. The London Shockwave Therapy team arranges an assessment with a clinician at whichever of the four UNTIL clubs in central London you choose. NICE found no major short-term safety concerns with shockwave for it, and called the efficacy evidence inadequate.
Hamstring Tendinopathy
Proximal hamstring tendinopathy causes deep pain under the sit bone that bites when you sit or run uphill. The London Shockwave Therapy team arranges an assessment with a clinician at whichever of the four UNTIL clubs in central London you choose, and it is the one condition here with no NICE guidance on shockwave behind it.
Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder usually gets better on its own over months or years, and the mainstays are pain relief, movement, injections and physiotherapy. A 2022 meta-analysis supports shockwave only as an add-on. London Shockwave Therapy sets out where it fits, and its team arranges an assessment at whichever of the four UNTIL clubs you choose.
Shin Splints
Most shin splints settle within a few weeks with rest and a gradual return to running, so shockwave is only worth discussing when they have not. London Shockwave Therapy sets out what the evidence says, and its team arranges an assessment at whichever of the four UNTIL clubs you choose, where a clinician rules out a stress fracture first.
Golfer's Elbow
The evidence for shockwave on the inner elbow is thin: NICE has assessed it only for tennis elbow, on the outer side, and a 2023 review calls its use for golfer's elbow questionable. London Shockwave Therapy sets out the sequence that comes first, and its team arranges an assessment at whichever of the four UNTIL clubs you choose.
Heel Spur
In a study of 108 people, shockwave brought no significant reduction in heel spur size, though some spurs got smaller and one broke, and the pain did not follow the X-ray. London Shockwave Therapy explains why the spur is not usually the target, and its team arranges an assessment at whichever of the four UNTIL clubs you choose.
Patellar Tendinopathy
Shockwave therapy for patellar tendinopathy, often called jumper's knee, has a thin evidence base: a 2023 meta-analysis found a negligible effect on pain and function compared with a placebo treatment. London Shockwave Therapy sets out where loading comes first, and its team arranges an assessment at whichever of the four UNTIL clubs you choose.
Lower Back Pain
Shockwave is not part of the NHS pathway for back pain: NICE does not name it, and the trials show at most short-term benefit for long-running low back pain. London Shockwave Therapy sets out what to try first and which symptoms need urgent help, and its team arranges an assessment at whichever of the four UNTIL clubs you choose.
What is shockwave therapy?
Shockwave therapy, also called extracorporeal shockwave therapy or ESWT, is a treatment for long-running tendon and heel pain. A handpiece held against the skin passes a few thousand acoustic pressure pulses into the painful tissue over about five minutes. Nothing is injected, nothing is cut, and a course is usually three sessions, one a week.
In the United Kingdom it is a second-line treatment. NICE has assessed it for plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, tennis elbow and greater trochanteric pain syndrome, and three of those four documents describe the problem as refractory, meaning it has already failed a proper course of rehabilitation. The treatment page sets out a course, the two machine types and who should avoid it.
- About 5 minutesof machine time in each session, with no anaesthetic.
- 3 sessionsusually one a week, alongside a rehabilitation programme.
- 6 to 12 weeksafter the last session is when the result is judged.
How much does shockwave therapy cost in London?
London clinics that publish their prices charged £85 to £150 for a single shockwave session when they were checked on 29 September 2026, and £348 to £400 for a course of three. Practitioners at UNTIL clubs set their own fees, and those who publish them sit inside that range.
The figure worth comparing is the whole course: the assessment, every session and the review appointment. The prices page lists the published figures, what moves them and when the NHS or a health insurer may pay instead.
- £85 to £150for one session at London clinics that publish a price.
- £348 to £400for a published course of three sessions.
- Quoted after assessmentso the price covers the course you actually need.
Shockwave therapy in central London, around the working day
All four UNTIL clubs open at 06:00 from Monday to Friday, according to UNTIL's own club pages, so a session can happen before the working day instead of in the middle of it. Each club is a short walk from the Underground by the TfL journey planner: 280 Bishopsgate is about 7 minutes from Liverpool Street, 111 Charing Cross Road about 2 minutes from Tottenham Court Road, 1 Orchard Street about 6 minutes from Marble Arch and 30 South Colonnade about 2 minutes from Canary Wharf.
Every club also has a gym floor, which matters more than it sounds. The loading programme that runs alongside a course needs real weight and space, so it can be done in the same building as the treatment. Each club has its own page with stations, hours and what to expect on arrival, listed with the map below.
About London Shockwave Therapy
Is shockwave therapy effective?
What NICE and the trials found
Shockwave therapy is a second-line treatment for tendon and heel pain in the United Kingdom. NICE has assessed it separately on four musculoskeletal conditions, in IPG311, IPG571, IPG313 and IPG376, all now renumbered as HealthTech guidance, and three of those four documents carry the word refractory in the title. That word is most of the story: this is a treatment aimed at a problem that has already failed the first answer, usually after at least three months of loading rehabilitation. A course is usually 3 sessions, one a week, and is honestly judged 6 to 12 weeks after the last one.
The evidence is not settled, and it does not fail in the same way everywhere. On 3 of the 4 conditions, plantar fasciitis in IPG311, Achilles tendinopathy in IPG571 and tennis elbow in IPG313, NICE found that the evidence raises no major safety concerns while the evidence on efficacy is inconsistent. On the 4th, gluteal tendinopathy in IPG376, it went further and called the evidence on efficacy and safety both limited in quality and quantity, and asked that patients be warned that symptoms may worsen. For hamstring tendinopathy it has published nothing at all, which is why that page carries no efficacy claim.
Those differences are the single most useful thing to know before paying for a course, because they change what a reasonable clinician should be promising you. Each of the 12 condition pages sets out what was assessed, who should avoid the treatment, and what a course involves. London Shockwave Therapy is part of the UNTIL group and arranges treatment at its 4 central London clubs, in Marylebone, Soho, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf. An enquiry comes to the London Shockwave Therapy team, who can usually arrange an assessment within a few days, including early mornings before 08:00 and Saturdays. Where the treatment looks appropriate, a clinician examines you in person before any course is agreed, and the result is reviewed 6 to 12 weeks after the last session. Questions that do not fit the enquiry form can go through the contact page.
How It Works
How a shockwave therapy course works,
step by step
Physiotherapy assessment before shockwave therapy
Send the enquiry form with what hurts, how long it has hurt and what has already been tried. The London Shockwave Therapy team replies to arrange an assessment with a clinician at the club you choose, usually within a few days, with early-morning and Saturday appointments. If a proper loading programme has never been tried, that usually comes first.
Is shockwave therapy painful during a session?
It can be uncomfortable and sometimes painful while it runs, though most people tolerate it, and the treatment itself takes about five minutes. If it is too much, say so, because the dose can be adjusted. A course is usually three sessions, one a week, and the area is often sore for a day or two afterwards.
Can you exercise after shockwave therapy?
Yes, after a short pause. Heavy loading of the treated tendon is usually avoided for about two days, then the loading programme resumes and runs through the whole course, because the load is what rebuilds the tendon. Every UNTIL club has a gym floor, so that work can happen in the same building.
How long does shockwave therapy take to work?
Usually longer than the course. Some people feel less pain straight after a session, though it can come back a few hours later, and most who improve start to notice it 6 to 12 weeks after the final session, which is the honest review point. If nothing has changed by then, the answer is a different treatment instead of more sessions.
Shockwave therapy near you at four UNTIL clubs in central London
- UNTIL Liverpool Street 280 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4RB View location →
- UNTIL Soho 111 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DT View location →
- UNTIL Marylebone 1 Orchard Street, London W1H 6HJ View location →
- UNTIL Canary Wharf 30 South Colonnade, London E14 5HX View location →
FAQ
Shockwave therapy questions,
answered before you enquire
How does shockwave therapy work?
A handpiece passes acoustic pressure pulses through the skin into the painful tendon or heel. The pulses are understood to restart a repair response in tissue that has stalled and to damp down local pain signalling. Nothing is injected or cut. In the courses London Shockwave Therapy arranges, each session takes about five minutes.
What is shockwave therapy used for?
Musculoskeletal problems only. Plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, tennis elbow, gluteal tendinopathy and calcific shoulder pain are the uses assessed in the United Kingdom, so tendons, heels, elbows, shoulders, hips and knees are the ground London Shockwave Therapy covers. Shockwave has applications elsewhere in medicine and none of them appears on this site.
Does NICE recommend shockwave therapy?
Not in those terms, and not identically across conditions. For plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy and tennis elbow NICE found no major safety concerns while the evidence on efficacy is inconsistent. For greater trochanteric pain syndrome it called the evidence on both limited. London Shockwave Therapy quotes that wording on every condition page, and neither finding is a recommendation.
How much is shockwave therapy?
About £85 to £150 a session in London, going by clinics that published prices on 29 September 2026, and £348 to £400 for a course of three. Practitioners at UNTIL clubs set their own fees. London Shockwave Therapy lists the sources and what changes the price on its prices page, so any quote can be checked.
Is shockwave therapy available on the NHS?
It depends on your local NHS service. Some NHS trusts offer it after a referral. For plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, tennis elbow and hip tendon pain, NICE says it "should only be used with special arrangements for clinical governance, consent and audit or research". London Shockwave Therapy suggests asking your GP or NHS physiotherapist first.
How many sessions of shockwave therapy are usual?
Usually three, one a week, each with about five minutes of treatment. NHS leaflets say the number can go up or down depending on how you respond. An NHS leaflet describes it as best used alongside a rehabilitation programme, and some trials tested the two together. London Shockwave Therapy's condition pages set out the usual course for each problem.
Does shockwave therapy hurt afterwards?
It can be uncomfortable and sometimes painful while it runs, though most people tolerate it, and it is over in about five minutes. If it is too much, the dose can be adjusted. Afterwards the area is usually sore for a couple of days. Tell the clinician London Shockwave Therapy arranges if the pain climbs instead of settling.
Can shockwave therapy make the pain worse?
A short flare in the day or two after a session is common and settles. A lasting worsening is uncommon, but the NICE guidance on gluteal tendinopathy warns that symptoms may worsen, so London Shockwave Therapy expects that risk to be put to you before the first session. Report pain that climbs instead of settling.
When is shockwave therapy the right next step?
Usually when a tendon or heel problem has lasted at least three months, a proper loading programme has been followed and the pain has not shifted. Three of the four NICE documents use the word refractory in their titles for this reason. London Shockwave Therapy asks what has already been tried before any assessment is arranged.
Where can I have shockwave therapy in London?
At four UNTIL clubs: 280 Bishopsgate by Liverpool Street, 111 Charing Cross Road in Soho, 1 Orchard Street in Marylebone and 30 South Colonnade in Canary Wharf. Each enquiry comes to the London Shockwave Therapy team, who arrange an assessment at the club you choose, usually within a few days, including early mornings and Saturdays.
Get Started
Shockwave therapy in London starts with an assessment.
Describe the problem, and the London Shockwave Therapy team arranges the examination.
London Shockwave Therapy • UNTIL, 280 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4RB
Ask about your caseEnquiries come to the London Shockwave Therapy team, who can usually arrange an assessment within a few days.