Shock therapy may help in erectile dysfunction

An experimental low-intensity shock wave treatment has been found to significantly improve erectile dysfunction in a clinical trial. It turns out that the treatment has been gaining quite a bit of attention among 60 per cent of men over the age of 60.

However, it seems that the evidence of its effectiveness has been largely anecdotal. Low-intensity shock wave therapy addresses the problem of insufficient blood flow to the penis.

The therapy aims to treat the problem, nip it at its bud, so to say, and not just treat its systems.

Last year cricket legend Sir ian Bothan too revealed that he has had the treatment.

The treatment involves jolts delivered through a probe applied to the penis.

Shock wave therapy has been used since the 1980s to treat gallstones, kidney stones, heart problems, fractures and joint inflammation.

In erectile dysfunction, it uses ‘low acoustic’ sound waves to help to improve blood flow to the penis by encouraging new blood vessels to form.

Blood flow is crucial to a man’s erections. When a man is sexually excited, arteries widen so that his penis can fill with blood.

The treatment involves a clinician applying a probe to the penis, which is coated in a special gel and the treatment may last up to 20 minutes with different areas of the penis being targeted. Men usually don’t need anaesthesia or experience pain, although they might have a tingling sensation in the treated area.