Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) technology encompasses the use of two distinct forms of sound waves to transfer energy into tissue, resulting in two types of shockwave devices that clinicians can choose to incorporate into their practice.
Focused Shockwave devices generates sound waves via an electromagnetic hand piece with a built-in water buffer, while the Radial Pressure Wave devices utilize a pneumatic/ballistic design. These differences impact the waveforms they produce.
Focused shockwaves have higher peak energy and generate maximal force at a selected depth. Radial pressure wave devices generate their maximal energy on the skin, which then dissipates as it travels to depth. Energy levels at depth are dictated by the settings on the machine and the applicator used. (1)