Loan, lease, or cash — the tradeoffs.
| Approach | What it means | What it doesn't solve |
|---|---|---|
| Cash purchase | Pay the full ~$75,000 upfront, own the device outright | Ties up working capital before you know utilization |
| Equipment loan | Spread the cost over time with interest, still own the device | Fixed monthly payment regardless of how many patients you actually treat |
| Lease | Lower monthly cost, may not build equity in the device | Still a multi-year commitment made before demand is proven |
| Practice-access program | No purchase — access the technology on a scheduled basis | You don't own the device; program terms apply |
Every financing path above still requires committing before you know your utilization. See the full breakdown of the fourth option on the Practice Economics page.
A used device lowers the price. It doesn't lower the risk.
Buying used reduces the upfront number, but the core uncertainty doesn't go away: you still won't know how many patients will actually use it until you're treating them. Used equipment can also carry unknown maintenance history, a shorter remaining service life, and more limited manufacturer support than a new unit.
It's a smaller bet — not a different kind of bet.
How long until it pays for itself?
There's no universal answer — it depends entirely on patient volume and pricing, which vary widely by practice and market. A practice with strong, proven demand could pay back a device relatively quickly. A practice guessing at demand could take years, or never fully recover the investment.
The honest problem: most practices don't know which scenario they're in until after they've already bought the equipment.
Questions worth asking yourself first.
How many current patients are actually candidates?
Be specific and honest — not an aspirational number.
Is my planned price realistic for my market?
Check what comparable practices near you actually charge.
What happens if utilization is lower than expected?
Know the downside scenario before you're in it.
Who's trained and legally able to treat?
Scope-of-practice rules vary by state and license type.
Is there a way to test demand first?
This is the one most practices skip — and the one that matters most.
What's the real payback timeline for my volume?
Run your own numbers rather than a vendor's example.
You can answer most of these before you buy anything.
Wave The Pain Away gives qualified practices access to SoftWave TRT with no equipment purchase — so you can find out how your patients respond, and what your real economics look like, before deciding whether ownership makes sense for you.