What is the effect of Shock Wave Therapy on erectile dysfunction?
The hardening of the penis (erection) occurs when the porous tissues inside the penis are filled with blood. In other words, erection depends on the healthy blood flow to the penile tissue. During an erection, the function of the arteries is to expand and carry blood to the penis in a fast way, while the function of the veins is to prevent the discharge of blood that fills the penis by constricting. In cases of advancing age, high cholesterol levels, and diabetes, some disruptions occur in the structure of the blood vessels in the penis, as is the case in the blood vessels in the heart.
What is Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT)?
In medicine, shock waves were firstly used to break down kidney stones in the 1980s. The shock waves used for this purpose are of high intensity and bear such a high energy that they can shatter a stone. Later, it was observed that the recovery time of the tissues was faster thanks to the shock waves, and shock waves of medium intensity were started to be used for the treatment of various orthopedic diseases.
With low-intensity shock waves, on the other hand, various heart diseases and erectile dysfunction have been treated by stimulating the formation of new vessels (vascularization) in recent years.
What are the effects of Shock Wave Therapy?
Shock Wave Therapy is a term that is used to describe low-intensity shock wave treatment. This therapy method has been used in orthopedics for years to help heal broken bones, injured ligaments, and injured tendons. ESWT has also been used for accelerating the healing of wounds. Targeted high-energy sound waves accelerate tissue regeneration and cell growth.