Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects 30% of all men above the age of 40 years and its prevalence steadily increases with age. Current nonsurgical treatment options, including phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5I), provide temporary relief but have failed to provide a permanent improvement of the condition. Low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (Li-ESWT) is noninvasive and uses acoustic waves, which can pass through tissue and be focussed to target specific areas or organs to induce the desired effects.

            The use of Li-ESWT has previously been described in other disease contexts, such as ischaemic heart disease, bone fractures, and burns, in which it improves neoangiogenesis; similar principles seem to apply in the erectile tissue. The major potential advantage of the treatment, therefore, is the possibility to restore natural erectile function. Thus, Li-ESWT is the only currently marketed treatment for ED that might offer a cure, which is the most desired outcome for most men with ED. Li-ESWT has also been suggested to improve the effect of PDE5I in nonresponders, reducing the need for more invasive treatments.

    Sildenafil  and other meds considered PDE5 inhibitors—which work by boosting blood flow to  penis—have become mainstays in ED treatment. In fact, 75 percent of men with ED who receive treatment are prescribed them, according to a Southern Illinois University School of Medicine study.But they don’t work for all guys—and some men, like those who take meds like nitrates for heart issues can’t use Viagra in the first place. 

                   That’s why scientists have been continually searching for other methods to treat erectile dysfunction. One that seems promising? Shockwave therapy.In fact, a new study published in Sexual Medicine of 192 sexual health experts at the 18th Congress for the European Society for Sexual Medicine show that support for it is growing: Seventy-two percent of the experts surveyed believed that low-intensity shockwave therapy is effective for treating ED.

            With shockwave therapy, clinicians apply a probe to the penis to send energy from acoustic waves to different parts of the penis, the International Society for Sexual Medicine explains. The hope is that this helps new blood vessels form, which would improve blood flow to the penis—vital to getting and maintaining an erection. Each session lasts about 15 to 20 minutes, and while one may feel some tingling, it usually doesn’t hurt. 

            Shockwave therapy is still considered experimental, and while it’s approved in other countries, devices are still under review from the FDA here.As the Sexual Medicine study pointed out, more randomized trials on the treatment are necessary. While studies have shown that it appears to be safe, randomized trials on its effectiveness have been conflicting—some showing little improvement that may not make much of a clinical difference.

              In the meantime, if you are having problems with your erections, your tried-and-true options are oral meds like sildenafil,tadalfil, or injectable drugs like alprostadil.