What are shock waves? Extracorporeal shock waves are pressure waves generated outside the body that can be focused at a specific site within the body. Shock waves are characterized by high positive pressures, up to 100 MPa (over 100 times atmospheric pressure), and negative pressures of 5-10 MPa. They have a rapid rise time of 30-120 nanoseconds (10-9) and a short, 5 microsecond (10-6) pulse du...