What Is Shockwave Therapy?
A modern, non-invasive acoustic wave platform used across a wide range of musculoskeletal and performance-focused practice settings.
OrthoWave Shockwave Technology Overview
Shockwave therapy is a category of acoustic wave technology that has been used in a range of medical and non-medical applications, most notably for breaking down kidney stones. The technology has since been adapted into devices aimed at muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue. Devices in this category are typically operated through a handheld applicator placed on the skin, without needles or incisions.
As acoustic waves travel into tissue, they create mechanical stress at the point of contact. The specific physiological effects of any given device depend on its output parameters, its regulatory clearance, and its labeling, and are outside the scope of this general overview.
OrthoWave directs acoustic wave energy into targeted tissue, with adjustable depth, frequency, and pressure set by the provider based on the equipment's available settings.
- Non-invasive, in-office use
- No anesthesia required
- No incisions, sutures, or scarring
- No increased infection risk from the procedure itself
- Minimal downtime associated with non-invasive procedures of this kind
- High patient interest in modern non-surgical options
Acoustic Wave Technology for Musculoskeletal Practices
Shockwave devices use high-energy acoustic waves delivered through a handheld applicator, without injections, surgery, or incisions.
OrthoWave provides the technology, training, and AI-powered patient marketing so your team can focus on running your practice — not chasing leads.
Share this video with patients to explain how OrthoWave's technology works and what a session typically feels like.
What Is Shockwave Therapy?
A general overview of acoustic wave technology as a category — its origins, how it's typically delivered, and how it's regulated. This page describes the technology broadly and does not describe any specific product's indications or clearance status.
Shockwave Technology Background
Shockwave technology was first developed for extracorporeal lithotripsy — using acoustic waves to break up kidney stones without surgery. Over subsequent decades, researchers and manufacturers adapted the underlying acoustic wave technology into devices intended for musculoskeletal and soft-tissue applications.
Devices in this category are typically operated through a handheld applicator placed against the skin, without needles or incisions, and treatment sessions are generally brief.
Shockwave devices generate short, high-energy acoustic pulses and direct them into tissue through the skin. Devices vary in how they generate these pulses (e.g., radial vs. focused wave technology) and in their adjustable output — including frequency, pressure, and pulse count.
The biological effects of acoustic wave energy on tissue have been an active area of research for several decades. Any specific claims about how a particular device affects the body depend on that device's studies, labeling, and regulatory clearance — this overview does not make claims about specific outcomes.
Shockwave devices are regulated by the FDA as medical devices. Depending on their intended use and classification, they may require premarket clearance or approval before being marketed for specific medical purposes. Different devices in this category are cleared or approved for different, specific indications, and manufacturers are only permitted to make claims consistent with their device's actual clearance or approval.
- Non-invasive, in-office use
- No anesthesia required
- No incisions, sutures, or scarring
- No increased infection risk from the procedure itself
- Minimal downtime associated with non-invasive procedures of this kind