Comparison
SoftWave vs Radial Shockwave Therapy
Direct answer
What is the difference?
The difference is how the wave is created and how it behaves in tissue. Radial devices are ballistic and strongest at the surface. SoftWave® is electrohydraulic and unfocused, spreading energy over a broader field. Both are delivered through the skin, without needles or incisions.
Radial pressure wave
- Generated ballistically by a projectile striking an applicator head
- Energy is highest at the skin and decreases with depth
- Often used over broader superficial regions and trigger points
- Physically a pressure wave rather than a true shockwave
Unfocused shockwave (SoftWave)
- Generated electrohydraulically via a spark within a fluid-filled applicator
- Wave is spread across a broad field at lower peak intensity
- Marketed for treating a wider area per pulse
- Device-specific clinical literature is smaller than the general ESWT literature
Which should you have?
That is a clinical question, and it depends on your diagnosis, the depth and location of the tissue involved, your history and what you have already tried. The published comparisons are not strong enough to declare one category better for everyone, and we are not going to pretend otherwise.
Technical differences do not equal outcome differences. Nothing here claims SoftWave outperforms radial devices.
Common questions
What is the difference between SoftWave and radial shockwave?
Radial devices are ballistic: a projectile strikes an applicator head, creating a pressure wave that is strongest at the skin and dissipates with depth. SoftWave® generates an unfocused electrohydraulic shockwave that spreads across a broader field. Technically, radial output is often described as a pressure wave rather than a true shockwave.
Which one hurts less?
There is no reliable general answer. Comfort depends on energy setting, the area treated and the individual. Both are usually described as tolerable, and intensity is adjusted during the session.
Does radial shockwave have more research?
Radial devices appear in a substantial number of published trials, particularly for plantar fasciitis and tendinopathy. Device-specific literature for any single brand, including SoftWave, is smaller. That is a statement about published volume, not about which will help you.
See if SoftWave therapy is worth exploring for your pain.
Candidacy is determined by evaluation — not by a website. Start with the quiz or call the clinic directly.
Serving Iowa City, Coralville and surrounding Johnson County communities from Total Health Chiropractic's Coralville clinic.