ED - Erectile Dysfunction
"Basic research and clinical trials suggest that low-energy shock wave therapy can improve penile blood circulation and thus may be helpful in men with erectile dysfunction secondary to penile vascular insufficiency"
Dr Tom Lue of the University of California, San Francisco
Causes
Erectile dysfunction or impotence can be defined as the inability to get or sustain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. It is a common in 40% of men over 50 but not talked about problem. The ability to be able to get an erection is important to most men old and young, but because of taboos and embarrassment many men suffer without seeking help or advice from their Doctor or Nurse.
All men require hormones, blood supply, nerves and a desire if he is to achieve an erection. If one or more of these mechanisms fail then the erection will also fail. When aroused nerve impulses travel from the brain to the penis. This triggers the relaxation of the smooth muscle in the penis which then allows increased blood flow into the tissues. As the penis fills with blood it will enlarge and become erect. As the penis enlarges it compresses the veins inhibiting blood flow out of the penis, thus sustaining the erection. The penis will stay erect until ejaculation or when arousal stops.
Treatment
The shockwaves causes angiogenesis which stimulate early expression of certain growth factors. These growth factors are eNOS (Endothelial nitric oxide synthase), VEGF (Vessel Endothelial Growth Factor) and PCNA (Prolofierating Cell Nuclear Antigen). Angiogenesis takes maximum effect for first 8 weeks of shockwave treatment for Erectile Dysfunction using our Piezowave 2 unit.
Between week 4 and 12 there is neovascularisation markers along with cell proliferation which improves the blood supply within the Corpus Cavernosa of the penis, this process is dose and time dependent. Impact Medical uses the Piezowave 2 unit with our unique linear transducer with it's unique dimensions and design is the perfect solution for linear structures such as the corpus cavernosa. Click here for our FAQ's