SoftWave vs Acoustic Wave Therapy

Patients often ask whether acoustic wave therapy is something different from what we do. Usually it is the same family of treatment described with a different word.

The Vocabulary, Sorted Out

• Acoustic wave therapy: a broad umbrella term for treatment using acoustic waves
• Shockwave therapy / shock wave therapy: the same idea, most common phrasing among patients
• ESWT: extracorporeal shock wave therapy — the clinical term, meaning the wave is generated outside the body
• SoftWave: a brand of broad-focused shockwave device

Where the Real Difference Lies

The meaningful distinction is not the marketing term — it is whether the device produces a true shock wave or a radial pressure wave, and how that energy is distributed. Two clinics can both advertise "acoustic wave therapy" and be using very different machines.

What to Ask Instead

Rather than comparing terminology, ask what type of device the clinic uses, how they decide where to treat, and what their evaluation process looks like before treatment begins.

At Compass Family Chiropractic in Dunwoody, the answer is SoftWave — a broad-focused shockwave device — and every case starts with a consultation and mapping session. Call (770) 452-0022.