What is the main cause of Peyronie's disease?

The most common reason for Peyronie's disease to occur is through repeated injury or trauma. There is some indication that a family history can also contribute to contracting the disease. Those suffering from connective tissue diseases have also shown an increased likelihood of contracting the disease. If you fall under any of these categories, you may be at greater risk of developing the condition.

Can Peyronie's disease go away?

Peyronie's can go away with the help of a medical professional. In very rare cases the disease will end on its own, but the vast majority of people are going to need medical care in order to see any significant improvements.

What happens if Peyronie's is left untreated?

In a very small number of patients, Peyronie's can go away naturally; around 10% of those experiencing the condition will experience this. For the remaining 90%, though, they will either remain unchanged in their condition or continue to get worse, with the curve becoming more and more severe.

What does Peyronie's look like?

Peyronie's causes a significant and abnormal bend in the penis. This is often accompanied by feelings of pain. The bend typically occurs during an erection and will be noticeably different from normal curvature.

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Shockwave Therapy for Peyronie's Disease

Non-invasive.
No surgery, no needles.
Ten to fifteen minutes per session.
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What is Shockwave Therapy for Peyronie's Disease?

Peyronie’s disease is a buildup of fibrous scar tissue inside the penis. That plaque is what causes the curvature, the pain, and the loss of length men notice. Shockwave therapy targets the plaque directly. Low-intensity acoustic pulses travel into the tissue and prompt the body to remodel the scar while building new, healthy blood vessels around it. The clinical name is Li-ESWT, and it works on the plaque underlying the curvature rather than masking symptoms.

Most Peyronie’s treatments either wait for the disease to stabilize or cut the plaque out. Shockwave sits in a different category. It works on the plaque while the tissue is still active, without surgery and without injections. Sessions take 10 to 15 minutes. No anesthesia. No downtime. You walk in, the provider runs the device along the treatment area, and you walk back to your day.

Most protocols run six to twelve sessions over a few weeks. The treatment is FDA-cleared for other conditions and considered investigational for Peyronie’s in the U.S., which is why candidacy is decided by a certified GAINSWave® provider trained on verified protocols, not by any clinic that happens to own a shockwave device. The Peyronie’s protocol is also distinct from the shockwave therapy for ED protocol. The conditions overlap in some men, but the treatment plans don’t.

GAINSWave sits in the regenerative therapy category, alongside PRP and stem-cell treatments. The difference is access. Shockwave therapy is the option you can start this week.

What to Expect: Benefits and Side Effects

Shockwave therapy is one of the most tolerable options in the Peyronie’s category. Sessions are short, the side-effect profile in published clinical studies is mild, and you go home and live your normal day. The trade-off is patience: results build across a course of sessions, not in a single visit.

What men report after treatment

The benefit best supported by clinical trials is pain relief. Across published studies, shockwave consistently reduces the penile pain of Peyronie’s, and that relief often comes early, sometimes within the first few weeks. Many men also report improvement in curvature, plaque firmness, and erectile function, particularly those treated in the early (active) phase while the plaque is still soft. The evidence for curvature change is more mixed than the evidence for pain, so a certified provider will set realistic expectations for your specific case.

The strongest responders are men in the active (inflammatory) phase, when the plaque is still remodelable. Men in the chronic phase, where the plaque has calcified, typically see less curvature change but often still benefit from reduced pain and improved erectile function in the surrounding tissue. Many men with Peyronie’s also deal with ED, since the same vascular and tissue changes affect both, and a shockwave course often improves function on that front in parallel.

Side effects and who should avoid it

Side effects are minor and short-lived for the vast majority of patients. The most common are temporary redness or mild tenderness at the treatment site, sometimes a faint sensation of pressure during the session itself.

There’s no recovery period, no medication interactions, and no time off work or exercise. That profile is what separates shockwave from injections and surgery on the safety side of the comparison.

Shockwave therapy isn’t right for everyone. It’s not recommended for men with active genital infections, uncontrolled clotting disorders, or certain cancers in the treatment area. Men on blood thinners need provider clearance first. Men with severe penile curvature greater than 60 degrees, hourglass deformity, or significant erectile dysfunction tied to advanced vascular disease may need a different or combined approach.

Candidacy is always determined in consultation, not from a website.

How Shockwave Compares to Other Peyronie’s Disease Treatments

Most men land on shockwave therapy after trying something else, or after a urologist mentions Xiaflex or surgery and the cost-benefit math gives them pause. Each option has a job it does well. Here is how they compare at a glance.

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Conservative options (traction, stretching)

Penile traction devices apply sustained mechanical stretch to the tissue over weeks or months. The published evidence shows modest curvature reduction for men who use them consistently for the prescribed daily hours. The catch is compliance: protocols require several hours of daily wear for three to six months, which most men find hard to sustain. Traction works best as an add-on to other treatments, including shockwave, rather than a standalone fix.

Xiaflex injections

Xiaflex is the brand name for collagenase clostridium histolyticum, an enzyme injection that targets the collagen in the plaque. A course runs up to eight injections over six months, paired with at-home stretching. The published data show meaningful curvature reduction for the right candidates. The course involves repeated needle injections into the plaque, side effects like bruising and swelling, and substantial out-of-pocket costs when insurance doesn't cover it.

Surgery (plication, grafting)

Surgery is the most definitive option for severe Peyronie's. Plication shortens the longer side of the penis to straighten the curvature. Grafting removes the plaque and replaces it with a tissue patch, preserving more length but with a higher risk of ED afterward. For curvature severe enough to prevent intercourse, or for men who haven't responded to other options, surgery delivers the clearest correction. The commitment is real: anesthesia, weeks of recovery, and a permanent change. Starting with the non-invasive option preserves every other option on the table.

Is Shockwave Therapy Right for Your Peyronie’s?

If you’re not sure where you fall on the severity scale, or whether your plaque is still active or fully calcified, a trained provider gives you the answer. The consultation covers your medical history, an exam to measure curvature and locate the plaque, and a conversation about how long the symptoms have been progressing. From there, the provider may find you’re a strong candidate for shockwave on its own, a better fit for a combined approach with traction or Xiaflex, or someone whose disease has progressed past the point where shockwave alone makes sense. The point of the consultation is to find that out before you commit.

FAQs About Shockwave Peyronie’s Disease Treatment

What is Peyronie’s disease?

What causes Peyronie’s disease?

The most common cause is microtrauma to the penis during sex or physical activity, which triggers scar tissue formation when the body cannot fully heal the injury. Genetics play a role, and the condition shares patterns with other connective tissue conditions, which is why a provider may ask about family history. Other contributing factors include diabetes, prior pelvic or prostate surgery, and age. In many cases no single injury stands out, and the disease develops from a combination of factors.

What are the symptoms of Peyronie’s disease?

The primary symptoms are penile curvature, pain during erection, and a palpable lump or band of hardened tissue under the skin.

Common signs include: - Curvature or abnormal bend during an erection - Pain during an erection - A palpable lump or hardened band of scar tissue - Loss of length or girth - An hourglass-shaped narrowing during erection - Difficulty getting or keeping an erection

Symptoms typically move through two phases: an active phase with pain and progressing curvature, then a chronic phase where the plaque stabilizes. Catching it in the active phase opens up more treatment options.

Can Peyronie’s disease be cured?

There’s no outright “cure” for Peyronie’s in the strict sense, but the condition is treatable, and many men see significant improvement in pain, function, and curvature. The clinical goal is to relieve pain, reduce the plaque, restore as much curvature and length as possible, and preserve erectile function. Outcomes depend on disease severity, how early you start, and which option fits your case.

Does shockwave therapy work for Peyronie’s disease?

For the right candidate, yes with realistic expectations. The strongest evidence is for reducing penile pain, which clinical trials consistently support. Some men, particularly those in the early (active) phase, also see improvement in curvature and plaque, though that evidence is more mixed. Shockwave is non-invasive and low-risk, which is why many men start here. Candidacy depends on plaque location, severity, and disease stage, which a trained provider determines during consultation. You can review the supporting research on our clinical studies page.

How many shockwave sessions will I need?

How much does shockwave therapy for Peyronie’s cost?

Is shockwave therapy for Peyronie’s covered by insurance?

What is the most successful treatment for Peyronie’s disease?

It depends on the case. Mild-to-moderate Peyronie's in the active phase often responds well to non-invasive options like shockwave therapy. Severe curvature or chronic, calcified plaque may require a more involved approach. What "success" looks like also varies by patient: some prioritize pain relief, others curvature reduction, others avoiding surgery. A trained provider gives you a candid read on what fits your specific situation during the consultation.

Can Viagra fix Peyronie’s disease?

No. Viagra and other PDE5 inhibitors treat erectile dysfunction by increasing blood flow on demand, but they don’t act on the plaque that causes Peyronie’s curvature. Many men with Peyronie’s also have some degree of ED, and pills can help with erection quality. The curvature itself requires a treatment that targets the scar tissue, like shockwave, Xiaflex, or surgery. Pills and Peyronie’s treatments are often used in parallel, not as substitutes.

At what stage of Peyronie’s should I start treatment?

Earlier is better. The active phase, when the plaque is still soft and the disease is progressing, is when treatments like shockwave therapy and Xiaflex have the strongest response. Waiting for the disease to stabilize narrows your options, since calcified plaque is harder to treat with any non-surgical approach. If you’ve noticed curvature, pain, or a lump that’s developed over the past few weeks or months, a consultation now opens more doors than one a year from now.

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