Urology Health - Shockwave Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction

Advertisement

Centro de recursos Patient Magazine Podcast Donate

Shockwave Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction

Shockwave Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction

Posted on: 16 Dec 2022


Person handling shockwave machine.

Erectile dysfunction, or ED, is the most common sex problem that men report to their doctor. It affects as many as 30 million men. ED is defined as trouble getting or keeping an erection that's firm enough for sex. It's not rare for a man to have some problems with erections from time to time. But ED that gets worse or happens routinely with sex is not normal, and it should be treated.

There are a number of treatments available. Non-invasive treatments are often tried first. These include quitting smoking, changing certain food habits, exercising more or stopping using alcohol or drug use. Your doctor may also suggest treating emotional problems.

The next step may be oral drugs or pills and testosterone therapy. More invasive treatments include:

  • penile injections
  • intraurethral medications
  • vacuum erection devices
  • penile implants
  • surgery to bypass penile artery damage

One of the newer treatments for ED is called shock wave therapy (SWT). With SWT, pressure from waves that move faster than the speed of sound cause small, controlled injuries to the penis.

SWT is likely safe when used to treat ED, but it is not clear if it really works. Most large studies have shown SWT results in zero or only small improvements in ED. Among the studies that did show help, they were mostly below the lowest level needed to be proven to work.

Men should be cautious when hearing that SWT helps ED. Often, out-of-pocket costs may be high. Also, there is a lot of misinformation and advertising on SWT.

Here are some resources that doctors use to learn more about SWT:

For more information on erectile dysfunction, check out these sexual health resources.


Explore Further

Share Your Story

Have a story to share? The Urology Care Foundation invites you to share your experience with a urologic condition and how it has affected you or your family.

Make a Differnece

Your tax-deductible gift will help support the millions of patients who are faced with urologic disease. Together, we care.