The Ultimate Guide To Choosing The Right Shockwave
Making a choice about a shockwave device is a big deal for your clinic. Let's dive into the important factors when picking a shockwave that not only gets along with your team but also lasts as long as possible between generator rebuilds. Go for one that keeps maintenance hassles to a minimum and has a design that's easy for your staff to get the hang of
Built In Protocols
When hunting for a shockwave, aim for one with the perfect combo of manual settings and built-in protocols—These protocols are your secret weapon for turbocharging staff training. Once your team is up to speed, they can confidently switch to manual mode like shockwave superheroes.
Now, let's talk about the Zimmer shockwave—it's like having a shockwave expert in your clinic. The Zimmer Shockwave guides therapists in how and where to move the handpiece for each condition as well as how to set up each treatment. It's essentially a user-friendly helper for shockwave therapy.
On the flip side, some shockwaves are stuck in the past with manual-only settings, making it feel like solving a puzzle for new therapists. Let's keep it simple and fun, not a head-scratcher!
Electromagnetic Shockwaves - Minimizing Pain
In radial shockwaves you can either choose between a compressor based shockwave or an electromagnetic shockwave
The Zimmer Shockwave is an Electromagnetic Shockwave - It is famous for having a projectile that is 5x heavier than compressor based shockwaves.
To keep it simple, this makes the treatments less painful for the patient which means that you can take treatments to a higher intensity because the patient can handle it
Another great feature of electromagnetic shockwaves is that you are not required to use gel as a cushioning agent, but you can use it to slide your handpiece if you want to
Compressor Based Shockwaves have to speed up their projectile to achieve the same output. This creates a sharper more painful feeling
How Loud Is It
All shockwaves make noise, but some are louder than others. Shockwaves with compressors are generally louder because they have a compressor that has to stay charged. Electromagnetic shockwaves are generally quieter since the only noise other than the shots are a small fan
Handpiece Longevity
Find a shockwave with the longest lasting handpiece and reasonable handpiece rebuilds that can be done quickly. The longevity of a handpiece varies depending on how well it is maintained. Some shockwaves MUST be rebuilt after 1 Million shots even if they are well cared for, others last longer.
The Zimmer shockwave commonly lasts up to 5 million shots before needing a rebuild, but we also frequently see 7-9 million shots before being rebuilt. Zimmer handpieces are affordably rebuilt, in house at our warehouse in Surrey, BC
Portability
Sometimes it's nice to have the flexibility to take your shockwave wherever you want to go. You can get shockwaves that are tabletop, set onto a tower cart or portable. The Zimmer Shockwave is available in all 3 models, our favourite is the portable model. because it is a full strength shockwave (power equivalent to 5 bar) that you can take everywhere with you!