Dr.'s Blog

The Top 10 Conditions SoftWave Therapy Can Transform – And the Science Behind Why It Works

This has been absolutely GAME-CHANGING in our practice lately…

And… I HATE gimmicks, which, there are PLENTY out there.

After years of helping patients through specific chiropractic adjustments, targeted nutrition, and lifestyle changes, I’ve added a technology to our clinic that’s taking results to a whole new level: SoftWave Therapy.

And honestly? I’m blown away by what we’re seeing.

Sure, it would have been easy to find another flashy tool and charge people to feel better for a few moments until they reached the parking lot. But we wanted to incorporate something that truly help people get well. And stay well.

But before you think this is just another “magic treatment” promising overnight miracles… let me be clear: this isn’t about chasing symptoms. This is about turning on your body’s own healing mechanisms at a cellular level.

Think of it this way: Your body already KNOWS how to heal. It built you from two cells into 70+ trillion cells working in perfect harmony. That same intelligence is still there – sometimes it just needs the right signal to get past whatever’s blocking it.

That’s exactly what SoftWave does.

What Makes SoftWave Different From Everything Else Out There

SoftWave (electrohydraulic unfocused shockwave therapy) isn’t a pain treatment. It’s a biological trigger.

At a cellular level, SoftWave activates:

• Angiogenesis → new blood vessel formation bringing life back to degenerative tissue
• Stem cell recruitment → mobilizing your body’s own repair cells to where they’re needed most
• Nerve modulation → calming hypersensitive pain pathways without drugs
• Reduced neurogenic inflammation → lowering the chemicals (substance P, CGRP) that keep pain cycles going
• Improved tissue metabolism → ramping up mitochondrial function and ATP production
• Collagen remodeling → organizing tissue properly instead of leaving behind dysfunctional scar tissue
• Accelerated regeneration → turning on healing pathways (TLR3, eNOS, VEGF) that may have been dormant

When you understand these mechanisms, you start to see why SoftWave helps conditions that have been “stuck” for months or even YEARS.

The Top 10 Conditions We’re Seeing Incredible Results With

Based on the research and what we’re witnessing in our own practice, here are the conditions where SoftWave is making the biggest impact:

1. Chronic Tendon Pain (Tendinopathy)

Whether it’s Achilles, patellar, rotator cuff, tennis elbow, or glute medius pain – chronic tendon issues are FRUSTRATING.

Here’s what most people don’t realize: modern research shows chronic tendon pain isn’t just “wear and tear.” It’s actually a nerve-driven condition involving:

• Pathological nerve ingrowth into the tendon
• Excessive pain chemicals flooding the area
• Disorganized, thickened collagen
• Poor blood flow
• Impaired healing signals

This “stuck state” is why rest, stretching, and even injections often fail. The biological environment won’t LET the tendon heal.

SoftWave changes that by:

• Reducing those pain-driving nerve fibers and chemicals
• Stopping abnormal nerve sprouting
• Activating tendon cells to remodel collagen properly
• Stimulating new blood vessel formation
• Triggering regenerative pathways

This is why we’re seeing tendons that haven’t improved in MONTHS start responding in just a few sessions.

2. Plantar Fasciitis

One of the strongest evidence bases in regenerative medicine – and one of the most common things I treat.

Plantar fasciitis isn’t really “inflammation” (despite what the name suggests). It’s:

• Micro-tearing of the fascia
• Degenerative collagen changes
• Trapped nerve fibers in the fascia
• Reduced blood flow at the heel attachment

SoftWave breaks up those dysfunctional adhesions, reduces nerve irritation, and brings circulation back to an area that’s notoriously hard to get blood flow to.

Patients often feel relief within MINUTES – then see lasting improvement as the fascia actually remodels and heals.

3. Non-Healing Wounds & Diabetic Foot Ulcers

This is actually one of SoftWave’s FDA-cleared indications – and the research here is fascinating.

Chronic wounds fail to heal because of:

• Poor blood supply
• Chronic inflammation that won’t resolve
• Cellular exhaustion (senescence)
• Biofilm formation

SoftWave stimulates massive angiogenesis (300%+ increases in some studies), promotes healthy tissue granulation, improves oxygenation, and activates local stem cells.

For people dealing with wounds that won’t close for MONTHS… this can literally be life-changing.

4. Acute Second-Degree Burns

Another FDA-cleared application – used in burn centers throughout Europe.

SoftWave helps by:

• Promoting faster skin repair
• Reducing excessive inflammation
• Improving circulation in damaged tissue
• Providing pain relief
• Supporting regeneration with less scarring

5. Peripheral Nerve Pain, Entrapments & Neuropathy

Whether it’s carpal tunnel, cubital tunnel, tarsal tunnel, or general neuropathy – nerve issues are TOUGH to resolve conventionally.

SoftWave improves nerve health by:

• Silencing hyperactive pain fibers
• Reducing inflammatory chemicals in nerves
• Improving blood flow around compressed nerves
• Stimulating Schwann cell regeneration (the cells that repair nerve sheaths)
• Enhancing nerve conduction
• Reducing fibrosis around the nerve

We’re seeing improvements in conditions that neurologists and surgeons often say “you’ll just have to live with.”

6. Osteoarthritis (Knee, Hip, Shoulder, TMJ)

OA isn’t just “bone-on-bone.” It involves:

• Loss of joint lubrication
• Cartilage breakdown
• Inflammation in the joint lining
• Hypersensitized nerve fibers
• Surrounding muscle weakness
• Poor circulation

SoftWave addresses ALL of these factors:

• Increases blood flow to the joint
• Reduces inflammatory molecules
• Improves cartilage cell metabolism
• Modulates those hypersensitive nerve endings
• Breaks up calcifications and fibrotic changes around the joint

Patients consistently report better mobility, less stiffness, and significantly reduced pain.

7. Muscle Tears, Strains & Myofascial Pain

Muscles get stuck in dysfunction due to:

• Microtears that don’t heal properly
• Scar tissue formation
• Adhesions between muscle layers
• Trigger points (areas of chronic contraction)
• Mitochondrial dysfunction
• Nerve sensitization

SoftWave releases those adhesions, improves mitochondrial function, increases microcirculation, and promotes proper healing.

Athletes especially notice faster recovery and reduced chronic tightness.

8. Bone Healing, Stress Fractures & Non-Unions

Shockwave therapy is used in orthopedics worldwide for bone regeneration.

SoftWave stimulates:

• Osteoblast (bone-forming cell) activity
• Bone growth proteins
• Blood vessel formation in bone tissue
• Stalled healing processes

It’s a non-invasive alternative when bones aren’t healing properly.

9. Sexual Health (Erectile Dysfunction & Peyronie’s Disease)

This might surprise people, but there’s actually DECADES of research on shockwave for sexual health.

(Unfortunately, at the moment, we do not offer these services in our office.)

The mechanisms make perfect sense:

• Creates new blood vessel formation
• Improves microcirculation
• Reduces fibrosis/plaque in Peyronie’s
• Enhances nerve function
• Improves nitric oxide signaling

This is one of the fastest-growing applications of shockwave therapy globally.

10. Scar Tissue, Fibrosis & Post-Surgical Stiffness

Scar tissue is dense, disorganized collagen that lacks elasticity. It traps nerves, restricts movement, and slows healing.

SoftWave:

• Reduces the main pro-fibrosis molecule (TGF-β1)
• Improves collagen alignment
• Breaks up adhesions
• Restores elasticity between tissue layers
• Frees trapped nerves

People often regain lost range of motion and feel tissue “soften” over time.

Why I’m Excited About Adding SoftWave to Our Practice

Look – I’ve always been committed to helping people heal at the root cause level. That’s why chiropractic care, functional nutrition, and lifestyle optimization are the foundation of everything we do here.

But when I saw the RESEARCH behind SoftWave… when I saw the mechanisms… when I started experiencing the results with our own patients…

I knew this was the missing piece for so many people.

Because here’s the reality: sometimes the body WANTS to heal, but something is blocking that signal.

Maybe it’s:

• Poor circulation to an area
• Chronic nerve irritation
• Disorganized scar tissue
• Inflammatory chemicals that won’t clear
• Stem cells not being recruited

SoftWave provides that biological trigger to GET PAST the block.

And when you combine it with proper spinal alignment, optimal nervous system function, good nutrition, and healthy lifestyle habits?

That’s when real transformation happens.

If Your Condition Hasn’t Healed… There’s a Reason

I hear this ALL THE TIME in my practice:

“Dr. Justin, I’ve tried everything – physical therapy, stretching, injections, medications – but nothing has worked.”

In most cases, the problem wasn’t that those treatments are “bad.” The problem was they weren’t addressing the biological environment that was preventing healing.

SoftWave changes that environment.

It turns on healing pathways. It brings blood flow. It calms nerve inflammation. It recruits stem cells. It signals tissue to remodel properly.

Your body WANTS to heal – it just needs the right support.

Ready to Experience What SoftWave Can Do?

If you’re local to Minnetonka, Hopkins, or anywhere in the Twin Cities area and you’re dealing with:

• Chronic pain that won’t resolve
• Injuries that won’t heal
• Nerve issues
• Joint degeneration
• Or any of the conditions we covered today

I’d love to see if SoftWave can help you finally move forward.

Schedule your first session and let’s see what your body is capable of when we remove the interference and turn on healing.

📞 Call us at (952) 229-8750 or visit drjustinlee.com to book

Because you’re not broken. You just need the right signal.

– Dr. Justin Lee, D.C. Minnetonka Family Chiropractic