Located in Encinitas
Serving San Diego & Southern California
Pelvic Health Occupational Therapy & Biofeedback
What Is SoftWave?
SoftWave is a non-invasive therapy that uses broad, unfocused acoustic waves to stimulate your body's natural healing response. The gentle waves reach both surface-level and deeper tissues, where they support circulation, calm inflammation, and encourage tissue repair- without needles, medication, or downtime.
SoftWave is FDA-cleared for activation of connective tissue, improving blood supply, relieving pain, treating acute second-degree burns, and treating chronic diabetic foot ulcers, and has been studied and used clinically for a growing range of musculoskeletal conditions. Here is a comprehensive list of all the medical indications SoftWave is currently being used for. At CORE, we use it the way any tool should be used: thoughtfully, for the right patient, with an honest assessment of whether it's likely to help you.
Not All Shockwave Is the Same
If you've researched "shockwave therapy," you've probably encountered three very different technologies sharing one name. And the differences matter for your comfort and your results.
Radial pressure wave devices (common in many clinics and often marketed as shockwave) use a pneumatic mechanism that concentrates energy at the skin's surface, dispersing as it goes deeper. Treatment can be quite uncomfortable, and the strongest effect stays shallow.
Focused shockwave devices concentrate energy at a single small point deep in the tissue. They're powerful and precise, but treating a meaningful area requires moving that intense focal point around, which many patients find painful.
SoftWave uses unfocused (parallel) acoustic waves generated electrohydraulically. Instead of concentrating energy at one intense point, the energy spreads across a broad area of tissue at consistent depth. The practical differences: a larger treatment zone per pulse, effective energy at depth without surface hot spots, and a treatment most patients find very tolerable. It's typically described as firm tapping, not the sharp discomfort radial devices are known for. No numbing cream, no bracing yourself.
This is one of the reasons we chose SoftWave specifically: for the sensitive regions we specialize in treating, comfort isn't a luxury. It's what makes treatment possible.
SoftWave Therapy, Guided by Clinical Expertise
Advanced acoustic wave technology for orthopedic and pelvic health conditions. Available as a standalone treatment or integrated into your comprehensive therapy plan.
Two Ways to Start
1. Standalone SoftWave — Orthopedic Conditions
For tendon, joint, and soft tissue conditions such as shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, foot, plantar fasciitis, chronic muscle tension; you can book a SoftWave session online directly, no referral or full evaluation required. Your first visit includes a brief, focused assessment of the treatment area so we're treating the right tissue for the right reason, followed by your first SoftWave treatment in the same visit.
2. Integrated SoftWave — Pelvic Health Conditions
For pelvic pain, postpartum recovery, scar tissue after abdominal or pelvic surgery, and related conditions, SoftWave is offered within our specialized pelvic health evaluation and treatment process. Because in these regions, an accurate assessment of why tissue hurts or isn't functioning has to come before any modality. Start with a complimentary consultation and we'll map out whether SoftWave belongs in your plan.
The CORE Difference:
Expertise First, Technology Second
You may have seen SoftWave advertised at clinics where the machine is the entire offering. Our approach is different. At CORE Functional Wellness, SoftWave joins an established toolkit that includes biofeedback, manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and, uniquely among SoftWave providers in this area, specialized pelvic floor evaluation and treatment.
That matters because a modality is only as effective as the assessment behind it. Whether you're here for a standalone orthopedic session or comprehensive pelvic health care, treatment starts with understanding your tissue and your goals. And if we don't think SoftWave is right for you, we'll tell you.
Conditions We Treat with SoftWave
Orthopedic applications (standalone sessions available- book online)
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Tendon and soft tissue injuries (shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, foot)
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Plantar fasciitis and heel pain
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Chronic muscle tension and trigger points
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Slow-healing soft tissue injuries
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Wounds
Pelvic health applications (integrated with pelvic floor therapy)
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Chronic pelvic pain and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction
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Postpartum recovery, including C-section and perineal scar tissue
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Scar tissue and adhesions following abdominal or pelvic surgery
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Tailbone (coccyx) pain
A note on transparency: some applications of acoustic wave therapy are supported by substantial published research; others are newer and still being studied. We'll tell you plainly what the evidence looks like for your specific condition, because you deserve to make an informed decision, not a hopeful one.
What to Expect
A SoftWave session is straightforward. The applicator is moved over the treatment area with a conductive gel, delivering acoustic waves in a rhythmic pulse. Most patients describe the sensation as tolerable tapping; intensity is adjusted to your comfort throughout. Treatment typically takes 10–15 minutes, and you can return to normal activity immediately. Some patients notice temporary soreness or mild redness afterward, similar to a good workout which usually resolves within a day.
Most conditions respond best to a series of sessions spaced over several weeks, with your progress reassessed as we go. For standalone orthopedic patients, sessions are booked individually or as a plan after your first visit. For pelvic health patients, SoftWave is woven into your broader treatment visits, where hands-on therapy, targeted exercise, and technology work together.
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