SoftWave vs Shockwave Therapy: What's Actually the Difference?

This is the single most common point of confusion patients bring us: they have been told to look into shockwave therapy, they find a clinic offering SoftWave, and they cannot tell whether those are the same thing.

They are. SoftWave is a brand of shockwave therapy — specifically, a broad-focused shockwave device. It is not a separate category of treatment sitting next to shockwave; it lives inside that category.

Why the Two Words Get Used Differently

"Shockwave therapy" is the category name. It covers every device that uses acoustic waves to stimulate tissue, including systems you may see called ESWT (extracorporeal shock wave therapy) or acoustic wave therapy.

"SoftWave" is a manufacturer's brand name for one such device. Clinics that own the device tend to say SoftWave. Physicians, physical therapists, and articles tend to say shockwave. Patients end up searching for whichever word they heard first.

The Three Types of Shockwave Technology

• Radial: pressure waves generated at the skin surface that lose intensity as they travel deeper. Widely available and typically the least expensive.
• Focused: true shock waves concentrated at a specific depth and a small target point. Precise, and often more intense at that point.
• Broad-focused: true shock waves spread across a wider treatment zone. This is the category SoftWave describes itself as.

So Which Should You Search For?

Search either. If you are researching the treatment generally, "shockwave therapy" will show you the widest picture. If you have been referred to a specific device, the brand name gets you to clinics that own it.

What matters more than the word is whether the provider examines you first, tells you honestly whether you are a candidate, and can explain which type of device they use and why.

What We Use at Compass Family Chiropractic

Our Dunwoody office uses SoftWave, a broad-focused shockwave device. If you are searching for shockwave therapy in the Dunwoody or Atlanta area, that is the technology you would receive here. Call (770) 452-0022 for an evaluation.