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Effectiveness of Extracorporeal shock wave therapy on erectile dysfunction
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy was introduced in 1980 in the clinical practice for the first time. It was initially used to treat musculoskeletal problems and enhance bone growth. The shock waves helped treat orthopaedic problems such as Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis. Shock waves are high-energy sound waves produced with high voltage explosions and evaporation from water.
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy is now used to treat men with erectile dysfunction (ED), especially the vasculogenic ED. It is considered an experimental treatment option and can be offered with other ED treatments.
Using shock wave therapy to treat vasculogenic ED, a blood vessel disease that interferes with blood flow to the tissues of the penis has proved effective (Clavijo et al., 2017). Since erections depend on sufficient blood flow in the penile tissues, extracorporeal shock wave therapy helps repair and strengthen the blood vessels in the penis, thus paving the way for blood to flow. When there is an increased flow of blood in the penis, there is erectile sufficient for sex.
From different studies that have been conducted over the past six years, the results of shockwave therapy have been promising and effective, especially for men with vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (Sooriyamoorthy & Leslie, 2020). According to the European Association of Urology, they recommend using low-intensity shock wave treatment when handling mild organic erectile dysfunction
patients or those that are poor responders to the phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors (Man & Li, 2018).
Different researches have proved the efficiency of extracorporeal shock wave therapy through significant improvement among men with erectile dysfunction, especially after six months of treatment. This shows that shockwave therapy can be used even after numerous critics from different scholars and organization.