Shockwave therapy equipment guides and comparisons
Guides

Shockwave Machine Specifications Explained

Shockwave machine specifications can look impressive without being very informative unless you know what each number means.

Pressure, frequency, energy, applicator size and service intervals all matter in context, and figures from different machine types are not always directly comparable.

Illustration of common shockwave machine specifications including pressure, frequency, applicator size and service
Specifications are most useful when compared in the context of device type, use and intended use.

Pressure (Bar)

Common on pneumatic radial systems. It describes system pressure, not a universal measure of tissue energy across all device designs.

Frequency (Hz)

Usually expresses pulses per second. Higher frequency can change treatment pace but is not automatically “more effective.”

Energy flux density

Commonly used for focused shock waves and reported in mJ/mm². It is more clinically interpretable for focused systems than comparing Bar values across unrelated devices.

Applicator / transmitter size

Head geometry changes contact area and energy distribution. Manufacturer-specific heads should be used according to instructions rather than assumed to map directly to treatment depth.

Pulse life and duty cycle

These affect ownership cost. Ask which components are wear items and what happens when the rated interval is reached.