The clinical effectiveness of shockwave therapy in the treatment of rotator cuff tendinopathy

Background . Rotator cuff tendinopathy (RCT) is a common musculoskeletal disorder and the main cause of shoulder pain and limited function. The resulting pain and reduced functionality have a negative impact on overall quality of life. Objective . The purpose of this study is a review of the effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in shoulder pain and functional recovery in patients with a rotator cuff tendinopathy. The clinical efficacy and its scientific justification are being considered, which is expected to serve as a guideline for future research in this area based on the results obtained. Materials and methods . The inclusion criteria for this study encompassed all available randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effectiveness of ESWT in the treatment of RCT. Literature search was conducted in the following databases for the period from March 2011 to March 2026: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, MEDLINE, to identify potential studies investigating the effect of ESWT in the treatment of rotator cuff tendinopathy (calcification or lack of calcification), with a placebo control group and other treatments (including placebo), without restrictions on region and language. Results . In total, 527 studies were found, of which 438 were excluded based on the title and abstract. After removing duplicates, the full text of 32 articles was checked. After that, 15 articles were excluded because they did not meet our inclusion criteria, and 17 articles were deemed suitable for inclusion in the review. Conclusions . The currently available limited data indicate that, compared to the control group, shockwave therapy may provide better pain relief, functional recovery, and maintenance of performance in patients with a rotator cuff tear.