Shock wave therapy fails to boost knee pain relief in small trial
NCT ID NCT07273110
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether adding shock wave therapy to a home exercise program could reduce knee pain and improve function in adults with patellofemoral pain syndrome (a common cause of front knee pain). Thirty-six people aged 18–45 were split into three groups: exercise only, shock waves only, or both. All groups improved over eight weeks, but the shock wave therapy did not provide extra benefit beyond exercise alone.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) device
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a non-invasive option to ease knee pain and improve function for people with patellofemoral pain syndrome.
What could go wrong
This was a small, early trial with only 36 participants, and it found no added benefit of shock wave therapy over exercise alone. Results may not apply to everyone with knee pain.
Disclaimer
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the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Bursa Uludağ University Sports Medicine Clinic
Bursa, Nilüfer, 16059, Turkey (Türkiye)