Abstract: A medical apparatus for treatment of the human or animal body by pressure waves or shock waves has a device designed to generate the pressure waves or shock waves and having at least one applicator part and a pneumatic drive which, by means of a pressurized gas, repeatedly generates impacts on a proximal input face of the applicator part in order, with the applicator part, to generate pressure waves or shock waves that are applied from the applicator part into the body by way of a distal output face. The pressurized gas acts, in the form of individual gas pressure pulses, directly on the applicator part to generate the pressure waves or shock waves.