Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects as many as 30 million American men, including 30 to 50 percent of men between the ages of 40 and 70. There are multiple causes including medications, chronic illness, poor blood flow to the penis due to plaque and calcification or vessel damage, excessive alcohol consumption and other lifestyle factors. Until recently, no drug-free, surgery-free long-term solution has been available to correct ED, or the inability to achieve and/or sustain a penile erection.

Viagra, Cialis, Stendra, Levitra are all prescription drugs commonly used in the treatment. They may be effective temporarily, but they may become ineffective over time and have many side effects that keep patients and their health care providers looking for other treatments. Additionally, these drugs can be very cost prohibitive. Pumps, which can be obtained over the counter, are another option commonly used.

Poor blood flow in the penis is often due to calcification and plaque in the blood vessels of the penis, very similar to having blockage in any other functioning organs that need significant blood flow in order to work properly. In fact, poor blood flow to the penis is usually the underlying cause.

With today’s rapidly growing technology, a new machine using lithotripsy (external sound waves), has officially received FDA approval for this specific treatment of ED. Created by Dr. Richard Gaines, it has had significant success in Europe, where it is known as extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT).

Lithotripsy is the most common treatment for kidney stones in the U.S. Sound waves from outside the body are targeted at kidney stones to break them up and to allow them to pass through the urinary tract. With ED, the therapy uses these high frequency acoustical waves to stimulate the formation of new blood vessels and to remove plaque and calcification. The resulting improved blood flow helps men to obtain stronger and more sustainable erections.

The therapy is virtually pain-free and requires no downtime. The in-office procedure takes 30 minutes on average, and a series of 6-12 treatments must be performed. Due of the increased blood flow, the majority of men who have completed the 12 treatments report an increase in both girth and length. The results most commonly last three years and longer if a maintenance program is incorporated.

80% of men with ED who have received treatment experienced a positive outcome and were able to achieve normal erections without the aid of prescription medications.

Angelika Kuykendall is a licensed vocational nurse with Preventive Medicine Centers in Palm Springs and can be reached at (760) 320.4292.

Sources: 1) ED Statistics, John Hopkins Medicine. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/; 2) http://www.urology.med.wayne.edu/impotence-sexual.php; 3) http://www.webmd.com/erectile-dysfunction/; 4) http://www.gainswave.com/gainswave/

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