My friend keeps saying that she gets sudden shock waves in her body that start all of a sudden. Is this a neurological problem or is it something else?
Not neurological problems.
Electrical shock sensations in the body are often benign. However, if you are experiencing new unexplained symptoms, it's always best to undergo a thorough physical examination.
We need to define the symptom better. Does it feel electrical? Painful? Vibrational? Each of these is a clue. Location is key in sorting this out. Usually not serious but can be. Beware of increasing frequency & severity. Hopefully his Family Physician can sort this out & get him to the appropriate specialist.
Shock like jerks often happen when we are falling into sleep. These are called hypnoeic jerks involving the whole body and a normal phenomenon. If they occurre during awake state I would consider drugs and metabolic causes before I think of multitude of other causes that diffusely affect the brain
This is a very vague question- I'd recommend having her see her primary physician about this and go from there. They would know best whether to refer for neurologic evaluation.