What credentials mean

In short: a licence lets someone practise, a listing here means the directory reviewed their profile, and a training certificate shows they completed a particular course or exam. None of the three alone shows that a treatment is right for you.

1. A licence or registration

Whether someone may treat patients is decided by the authorities where they practise: a medical chamber, a physiotherapy board or a state licensing board, depending on the country and the profession. Who may provide shockwave therapy differs between countries and professions, so this site doesn't state it for any country.

Many countries publish a register you can search by name. Ask the practitioner which profession they are registered in and with which authority.

On this site: licences and registration numbers aren't checked yet.

2. A listing in this directory

An administrator reads every profile before it is published. A listing means the profile was found suitable for the directory. It isn't a recommendation, and it says nothing about the quality of care. About the directory sets out what is and isn't checked.

3. Training certificates

Practitioners list certificates they hold. They mean different things:

• Certification by a professional society, such as the ISMST, usually follows a course and an exam. It shows that the person met that society's requirements. It is not a licence to practise, and it doesn't by itself show full clinical competence.
• A certificate of participation from a course shows that the person took part. It doesn't usually involve an exam.
• Device training from a manufacturer shows the person was trained to use that manufacturer's equipment.

On this site: certificates on a profile are as the practitioner states them. They aren't checked yet, and the directory shows no certification badge.

How to check a certificate

Ask which organisation issued it and when. Some certificates carry a verification link or a QR code; otherwise the issuing organisation can usually confirm it. A society certificate may also have an expiry date.

Questions worth asking a practitioner

• Which profession are you registered in, and where?
• What training have you had in shockwave therapy, and from whom?
• Do you use focused shockwaves, radial pressure waves, or both, and why for my problem?
• How was my condition diagnosed, and are there reasons I shouldn't have this treatment?
• How many sessions do you expect, and what will they cost?

If something on a profile looks wrong, please tell us.