When Viagra fails...
The Journal of Sexual Medicine recently published a report that indicates that individuals who do not respond to
Viagra,
Cialis or
Levitra may be helped by the sound wave therapy that is normally used to break up kidney stones.
It has already been shown that blood flow and blood vessel growth can be increased by the application of low intensity sound waves. Researchers hypothesised that the use of sound waves at a lower intensity than that used for treating kidney stones, when applied directly to the penis, could increase blood flow and so treat impotence.
This potential treatment was tested on a sample group 29 men that did not respond to
Viagra,
Cialis or
Levitra, Their average age was 61 and, prior to treatment, all were assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function scoring system (IIEF - see below) and On average, the participants scored an overall 8.8.
The 9-week trial involved multiple 3-minute sessions in which 300 sound waves were applied at five different points along the shaft of the penis.
Two months after the treatments, the groups IIEF scores were found to have increased by an average of 10 points on the scaling system - more encouragingly, 8 of the 29 participants achieved normal sexual function.
The researchers conclude that sound wave therapy is a promising treatment and suggest that larger studies are undertaken to conclusively prove whether sound wave treatment is a safe and effective therapy for impotence.
The IIEF Scale
|
No erectile dysfunction |
26 – 30 |
|
Mild erectile dysfunction |
22 – 25 |
|
Mild to moderate erectile dysfunction |
17 – 21 |
|
Moderate erectile dysfunction |
11 – 16 |
|
Severe erectile dysfunction |
6 - 10 |