Erectile Dysfunction is a problem that occurs in male when they aren’t able to have an erection for long or no erection at all. This might happen due to stress, aging, hereditary or other harmful lifestyle alternatives.
There has been a lot of buzz around shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction or ED since the last few years. There are cases where a low-intensity shockwave therapy or extracorporeal shockwave therapy has worked for patients’ improvement. But, does it work for all kind of Eds? There also have been a lot of debate around its credibility to treat different types of ED.
Before we can understand whether shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction is really effective or not, let us know what shockwave therapy is.
In simple terms, shockwave therapy is the process of using low-intensity acoustic/sound waves to re-introduce mobility in the stagnant blood vessels by removing the plaque or any other causes for its immobility. This enhances the formation of new blood vessels which rehabilitates the portion of the body that is deformed.
This type of non-invasive therapy is used for treating patients with heart problems, kidney stones, joint and muscle inflammation, fractures and acute pain.
Now that we know the process of shockwave therapy and what it is used for, we also understand that it can be helpful to treat ED.
What is erection, and how does it work?
Erections happen when the sexual stimulation inside a man sends the signal to the brain, and the brain immediately triggers blood circulation towards the penis’ arteries and making it strong for penetration. The penis relaxes, and the blood flows through the arteries to its chambers, resulting it to be harder.
What is ED?
When there is a low supply of a sufficient amount of blood to the penis, it either gets erection for a while, or there is no erection.
How is shockwave therapy done for ED?
Unlike other treatments like pills or injections and vacuum devices that provides chemical support to the penis, shockwave therapy is like a motivation that helps someone to perform all by themselves.
To conduct a shockwave therapy, a probe coated in a medicinal gel is applied to the penis by the doctor. It isn’t painful, but one can feel tingling sensations. Shockwave therapies last for less than an hour.
Final verdict
Shockwave therapy helps in the mobility of blood vessels which is highly critical for erections. People who have undergone this therapy seem to have positive results. Their erections are more prolonged and better and have been able to do proper intercourse.
The shockwave therapy results depend upon the severity of erectile dysfunction. Researchers haven’t yet given it a full-fledged green flag as they are still carrying on their research on the application of shockwave on various kinds of EDs and its cure.
Make sure you visit your doctor before going for any therapies.
Medically reviewed by Rishabh Verma, RP
