Shockwave Therapy: A Novel Treatment Modality For Erectile Dysfunction!

A review of studies found that low-intensity shockwave therapy can improve erectile dysfunction (ED), especially mild to moderate sexual dysfunction.

Like most medications for ED, low-intensity shockwave therapy targets the primary cause of the disease, which is insufficient blood perfusion in the penis that makes it difficult to get and maintain an erection. But unlike drugs, shockwave therapy has not yet been approved in the United States to treat ED.

The therapy may be an alternative to drug therapy, allowing patients who cannot take or benefit from drugs to find new avenues of treatment.

"Basic research and clinical trials have shown that low-intensity shockwave therapy can improve penile blood circulation, so it may be helpful for ED patients," said Dr. Tom Lue of the University of California.

Shockwave therapy remains an experimental treatment option. From animal experiments, research data have led to many similar but not identical mechanisms for ED treatment. "Shockwave therapy is likely to improve erectile dysfunction, but the mechanism is unclear," said Dr.

The researchers examined data from 14 previously published articles including 833 patients. Studies vary in experimental design, pulse therapy dose, and treatment duration.

A meta-analysis of the results showed that shockwave therapy did improve sexual function. On average, patients' sexual function was twice as good as before treatment.

The majority of men with ED in the study had ED due to poor penile blood flow. The findings suggest that the therapy is not a panacea for all ED patients. This therapy works well only for ED due to blood flow problems.