"It doesn't cause trauma. It's just waking the body up."

What if your body already knows how to heal, it just needs the right signal to start again?

In Episode 2 of the Shockwave Tissue Regeneration Therapy Podcast, host Thomas Helfrich and SoftWave CEO Tom Rhoads break down the science behind shockwave therapy: what happens inside the body during treatment, why the goal isn't to damage tissue but to activate your body's own healing response, and why understanding the technology behind the device matters just as much as the treatment itself.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) uses acoustic sound waves to restart the body's natural healing process, increase blood flow, reduce inflammation, and support tissue regeneration
• Why true shockwave therapy is designed to stimulate healing without causing lasting tissue trauma, and how different energy levels are used for different medical applications
• How to identify a true FDA-cleared shockwave therapy device, why FDA clearance matters, and the difference between cleared and uncleared technologies
• What patients should ask before receiving shockwave therapy and why not every device marketed as "shockwave" delivers the same technology or clinical outcomes
• How shockwave therapy may complement regenerative treatments such as PRP (platelet-rich plasma) and support recovery before and after surgery

If you've ever wondered how shockwave therapy actually works, or why some patients see dramatically different outcomes than others, this one's for you.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction - Shockwave 101

00:49 - What Is Shockwave Therapy?

01:25 - Why the Body Stops Healing 

01:40 - How Shockwave Restarts the Healing Process 

02:17 - Does Shockwave Cause Trauma? 

02:27 - The Origins of Shockwave (Lithotripsy) 

04:01 - FDA Clearance Explained 

05:29 - Cheap Devices vs. Proven Devices 

05:50 - FDA Registered vs. FDA Cleared 

07:06 - The One Question Every Patient Should Ask 

07:52 - Can Shockwave Be Combined with Other Treatments? 

08:39 - Closing & Next Episode Preview 

“Shockwave therapy, and then dead silence”

Why haven’t you heard of shockwave therapy? 

It's been used for years, backed by hundreds of clinical studies, and helping patients around the world, yet many people are only discovering it now. So why has it stayed under the radar?

In the very first episode of the Shockwave Tissue Regeneration Therapy Podcast, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Tom Rhoads, CEO of SoftWave, to unpack this question. You'll hear how Tom's decades in healthcare led him to regenerative medicine and what changed his perspective after hearing patient stories that were hard to ignore. 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• Why shockwave therapy became a standard treatment in Europe and why it's only now gaining momentum in the United States.
• The science behind extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), including the clinical evidence, FDA clearance, and how it stimulates the body's natural healing response.
• Which conditions may benefit from shockwave therapy, including plantar fasciitis, tendinopathy, chronic musculoskeletal pain, diabetic foot ulcers, and wound healing.
• How real patient outcomes and growing insurance reimbursement are changing the way healthcare providers view regenerative medicine.
• Why not all shockwave devices are the same, and what makes true shockwave technology different from other devices marketed under the same name.

Whether you're dealing with chronic pain, caring for patients, or simply curious about regenerative medicine, this episode is a great place to start to learn more about shockwave tissue regeneration therapy.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

00:44 - Tom's Background

01:25 - Host's Personal Story

01:42 - What Is Shockwave & Why Haven't People Heard of It? 

03:00 - Why Patient Outcomes Matter

03:17 - Real Patient Success Story 

04:40 - From Skeptic to Believer

06:18 - FDA Clearance & Insurance Reimbursement 

07:47 - Patient-First vs Market-First Companies 

08:10 - What Conditions Can Be Treated? 

09:20 - Why Professional Sports Teams Use It 

10:57 - How Healing Actually Works 

11:52 - Shockwave for Sexual Health 

12:01 - Outro

This is the truth about shockwave, told through the lens of FDA-cleared technology, the providers who use it, the researchers who study it, the industry leaders who built it, and the patients living with the results.

In this welcome episode, host Thomas Helfrich shares his personal experience with shockwave therapy and the mission of the Shockwave Tissue Regeneration Therapy Podcast: no hype, no sales pitch, just evidence.

You'll discover the science behind extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) and how acoustic wave technology is used in musculoskeletal care: how treatment actually works, what the clinical research shows, why FDA clearance matters when choosing a device or provider, and what real patient outcomes look like for plantar fasciitis, tendon injuries, shoulder pain, knee pain, neuropathy, and other chronic musculoskeletal problems.

Every episode features honest conversations with doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, clinical researchers, technology experts, industry leaders, and real patients about what shockwave therapy can do, what it cannot do, and how to separate evidence-based treatment from marketing hype.

Whether you're a patient searching for options or a clinician evaluating this technology for your practice, you'll leave knowing more than the brochure tells you.

If you want the truth about shockwave therapy, this is the show. Follow now so you never miss an episode.

Welcome to the Shockwave Tissue Regeneration Therapy Podcast