If you are a male who wants to know if Viagra® works, the answer is not as simple as you might like. But there is a more permanent resolution to ED called shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction and it has several important advantages over traditional sexual medicine or therapies. Let’s dive in.
Shockwave Therapy for ED
Physicians are now discovering an approach to healing ED that does not carry the risks or threats of ED medications. Shockwave treatment has become a rising star in the battle against erectile dysfunction. And while the concept behind this therapy may sound new, it has been around for many years as a treatment for kidney stones and other ailments.
Who Might Benefit from Treatment
In general, if you have struggled with ED and have not seen success from other treatments you will want to consider shockwave therapy. If Cialis® or other prescription medicines have failed, this may be the solution you’ve been looking for. But even if these prescription drugs have yielded positive results, treatment poses no side effects associated with ED medications.
The treatment can be especially effective for diabetic men with “arteriogenic impotence,” which is the formation of fatty acids in the arteries. These fatty acids can disrupt blood flow to the penis, but treatment can help alleviate the condition.
However, if a man has a penile implant or is on anticoagulant therapy, he would typically not be a good candidate for the procedure. No matter what your medical history, it’s essential that you discuss the treatment with your doctor before proceeding.
How Does Shockwave Therapy for ED Work?
It may sound a bit ominous but the procedure itself is quite simple. At a healthcare facility, a clinician applies a handheld device that sends mild sound waves through the penis, stimulating the growth of new blood vessels. The drug-free treatment is non-surgical, so it does not require anesthesia making it more affordable, more convenient, and reducing the time required to complete each session.
From the patient’s perspective, the experience will produce only a slight tingling in the penile region; the overall process is completely painless! And with this procedure there is no downtime or required rest. That could mean treatment in the morning and golf in the afternoon!
In most cases, the full treatment process will involve six therapy sessions over three weeks. However, it can take up to 12 treatments, spread out over as much as a year to see the full results. After treatment, patients have reported immediate improvement to sensitivity, with maximum results occurring within 8 to 12 weeks.
The results last up to two years and deliver higher-quality functionality, greater sensitivity, and increased spontaneity. Increase confidence in the bedroom and in your life is also common.
Studies Confirm the Effectiveness of Shockwave Therapy
A range of studies backs up the fact that low-intensity shockwave therapy (LI-ESWT) has a positive impact on ED.
And because it addresses the root cause of the condition in many individuals, rather than just the symptoms, it may be superior to more common interventions.
How Effective is Viagra®?
Pharmaceuticals like the little blue pill, and its cousins, Stendra®, Cialis®, and Levitra®, are what may come to mind when thinking of a possible treatment for ED. But what men really want to know is, does Viagra® work? Of course, this is not a single question.
The technical answer would seem to be yes according to Harvard Health Publishing. They report that, “Taking an ED drug produces an erection sufficient to start intercourse in about 70% of otherwise healthy men.”
Viagra® Side Effects
Something may yield a positive result from a technical perspective, but that does not mean it produces an optimal result. This medicine may help, but does it produce optimal results?
ED medications like these relax muscles and increase blood flow to the penis, causing an erection or maintaining it. In this sense they can be viewed favorably. However, there are many disadvantages to such prescriptions, which, incidentally, were all originally based on medication developed to treat conditions other than erectile dysfunction. While ED drugs like Viagra® might seem helpful, they also offer a list of including:
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Upset stomach or heartburn
- Body aches/pain, including back pain
- Nasal congestion
- Visual changes
- Hearing loss
- Digestive system problems
- Dizziness
- Skin flushes
- Prolonged erection
The final item on the list of possible unwanted risks is an overreaction to an ED medication, also known as priapism, and has the potential to severely damage the penis. If there are two phrases that men don’t like hearing together, they are “your penis” and “severe damage.”
The movie, Love and Other Drugs (2010, Twentieth Century Fox), contained a funny scene involving priapism but this potential side effect is most definitely not a laughing matter.
Beyond the possible risks, however, these pharmaceuticals are inconvenient in that they must be taken before, and in some cases, long before, sexual activity and this can mean interrupting the natural flow of sexual intimacy.
In other words, the planning can overshadow the “turn on” of spontaneity which is very important to a fulfilling sexual experience. In the final analysis, it may be said that ED medications, at best, are only a temporary patch for the problem.
Shockwave Therapy vs. ED Medication
While pharmaceuticals can help, shockwave therapy for ED has a 75% success rate and allows couples to return to a more natural flow in intimacy. This is very important because during the time spent waiting for ED medications to produce their desired effect, life can create situations that may require the couple to further delay sexual activity, perhaps until after the maximal effects of the drug have worn off. That would be a waste of your supply the pill and the money it cost to purchase it.
Where To Access Treatment
There are a number of places where this procedure is available and patients can be treated, but only one brand is comprised of a network of highly trained, trusted providers that operate using a methodology.
That brand is called GAINSWave® and it is based on the results of more than 30 clinical studies.
If you’re considering treatment, we encourage you to connect with a GAINSWave provider to discuss your options.
