“At 31, being told that you have essentially bone-on-bone arthritis in your foot is not an ideal place to be.”

— Dr David Willer

David’s story

Highlighted phrases 1 are picked out below the story, where we answer questions clinicians often ask.

At 31, being told that you have essentially bone-on-bone arthritis in your foot is not an ideal place to be. I have always been extremely active, with a strong background in high-level endurance sport, so losing the ability to run and finding everyday walking increasingly difficult was a major change.

Alongside sport, I work as an academic and research scientist at the University of Cambridge. That probably means I am more interested than most patients in what a treatment is actually doing1, what the evidence supports, and, most importantly, whether it produces a meaningful functional benefit.

Where I started

My problems began with a navicular stress fracture in 2017. Over the following years, I developed severe osteoarthritis in the talonavicular joint, a small but important joint in the middle of the foot.

By 2024, the joint was essentially bone-on-bone. Walking became increasingly difficult, running was no longer possible, and pain, swelling and crepitus were regular features of everyday life. All I was offered by the NHS at this point was a joint fusion and potentially later amputation, which is not a route I want to take at this age in life2.

I have tried a range of ways of managing it, including specialist footwear and orthotics, bracing and injections. Since May 2025, one of the most useful additions has been focused shockwave therapy.

My experience with focused shockwave

I have had regular treatment with Joe Applegate at the Shockwave Specialists using STORZ Medical focused shockwave equipment.

For me, the benefit has been very real. I would not claim that shockwave has somehow reversed an end-stage arthritic joint, but it has helped considerably with symptom and pain management3 and has become one of the treatments I actively choose to continue.

Where I am now

My foot is certainly not normal, and walking and running remain limited. But despite the severity of the arthritis, I am still swimming, cycling, using an elliptical and also training regularly at a CrossFit gym.4

For someone whose life has always involved a lot of sport and physical activity, maintaining that level of independence and exercise matters enormously. Focused shockwave is one part of a wider management strategy, rather than a cure, but it has helped me remain active and manage the condition without simply accepting that major surgery has to be the immediate next step.

Hopefully, it may allow me to buy enough time for newer therapies to reach a point at which the joint and the cartilage can be restored.

Four clinician questions David’s story helps answer

These are questions clinicians often ask us about focused shockwave therapy and osteoarthritis. David’s own words, highlighted in his story above, are part of each answer.

We work every day with clinicians who use shockwave technology, and we run practitioner-led training so that more of them can offer it well. It’s rare, and valuable, to hear what that looks like from the patient’s chair.

We’re grateful to David for sharing his story so openly.

David’s story describes one patient’s experience of managing severe osteoarthritis. It shouldn’t be read as evidence that focused shockwave therapy will produce the same results for every patient, and it isn’t presented here as a way to reverse joint damage or restore cartilage. Research into shockwave therapy for osteoarthritis is still developing. Suitability depends on the condition, medical history and clinical findings, so treatment should be based on an appropriate clinical assessment and an informed discussion of the options with the patient.