Is it possible to cure impotence with sound waves?

Is it possible to turn back the clock and return a man's sex life to its natural course? With a little googling, it's easy to stumble upon the Vigore method and its impressive results.

What is it

Developed in Israel, where it has been available for eight years, this method is claimed to not only help men with Erectile dysfunction, but also those who just want to feel like they are in their 20s and 30s years. It is also suitable for cases where impotence is due to medical factors.

Treatment typically includes four sound wave sessions lasting about five minutes each, with a one-week interval between treatments. The idea is that the sound waves trigger the growth of new blood vessels, which improves blood flow and thus strengthens the erection.

Similar developments were carried out by Italian researchers, that is, the technology is not new.

The problem of impotence

"Erectile dysfunction is common, one study found that it affects about 40 percent of men in their 40s. About 70 percent are impotent by their 70s," says Dr. Daniel Atkinson, general practitioner and lead clinical director of the center treatment.

"Aging and lifestyle factors, such as excessive smoking and drinking, can slowly destroy the small blood vessels in the penis that help supply it with the blood it needs to maintain an erection."

While doctors may prescribe Viagra or similar drugs to help dilate the blood vessels in the penis and improve blood flow, this does not always work. "That's because the male organ needs enough of these small blood vessels to function," explains Dr. Atkinson.

Typical experience with internists and urologists, judging by anecdotes on online forums dedicated to the taboo topic of ED, pills are handed out like sweets. Since many drugs, such as Viagra, are bought online, it is impossible to tell how many are being taken, but it is estimated that erectile dysfunction affects millions of men, and the sales figure will indeed be high.

At the same time, for those whom Viagra could not help, there is nothing, and there is little understanding on the part of the doctor about how to cope with the problem.

How it works

Dr Sheriff Wakil, a former sexual dysfunction surgeon at Dr SW's Harley Street Clinic in London, talks about the treatment.

"This treatment is called extracorporeal shock wave therapy, and these waves cause microtrauma to the cells of the penis," he explains.

"The response to this kind of damage is thought to be neovascularization, where tiny new blood vessels grow as part of the healing response. This helps with erections afterwards."

Method success

The success rate for his patients is 70 to 80 percent. Usually four sessions are enough (between £2,500 and £3,000), but with various complicating factors, especially diabetes, up to six.

Results can be expected within about six weeks, with a possible full recovery of the penis within three to six months if all goes well.

How it happens

The patient is seated in a chair with "stirrups" that secure the legs. A nozzle in the form of a hose is connected to the device; at the end it has a probe and a small clamp.

First, the doctor uses a probe to apply pressure to the area under each testicle for five minutes, transmitting sound waves. According to patients, they feel a painless pulsation, akin to the tingling sensation of the smallest needles. Then, for three minutes, each side of the shaft of the penis held by the clamp is treated in a similar way. This completes the procedure.

Sessions are held weekly for a month and take a total of no more than 45 minutes.

As a result of extracorporeal shock wave therapy, spontaneous erection is restored in most patients, and sexual life returns to the state in which it was in 30 years. And, best of all, this treatment has no side effects.

- but some experts are not sure if it works

It's easy to see the appeal of shock wave therapy: for men with erectile dysfunction, it can mean not taking pills, using passion-killing vacuum devices, or injecting drugs into the penis before sex. But does the scientific evidence support that it actually works?

Studies show there are benefits.One of them, conducted by experts from Spain and published in July in the World Journal of Urology, studied 76 men with erectile dysfunction who failed to improve erections with drugs such as sildenafil (Viagra), taken immediately before intercourse, and tadalafil (a similar drug). ), taken daily.

How the study was conducted

A shock wave treatment, such as Vigore, involves the doctor passing a wand-like device over the penis while it emits gentle pulses for 15 to 20 minutes. This stimulates the growth of new blood vessels to increase the blood supply to the penis, and is also believed to promote the release of nitric oxide, which helps to expand them.

In a Spanish study, just over half of the participants received the shock wave treatment once a week for a month, while the rest received a sham treatment.

Over the next six months, all men were regularly assessed using the International Erectile Function Index, a 30-point scoring system. The researchers found that those who received shock wave therapy improved their scores by an average of 3.5 points. This means that some people no longer need drugs like Viagra. In the sham treatment group, the scores fell by an average of half a point.

But experts in sexual medicine believe that most studies of shock wave therapy vary greatly in the number of male subjects, patient profiles, and the type or strength of the shock waves, making it difficult to evaluate.

Indeed, in 2019 the European Society for Sexual Medicine concluded that while shock wave therapy is "safe and well tolerated", its effectiveness is "questionable". The British Society for Sexual Medicine (BSSM) suggests using this treatment only after other methods have failed.

Dr. Jeff Hackett, former president of BSSM, says the current evidence for shockwave therapy suggests it may only benefit those with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction.

"If you are in this category and can afford £3,000 individual shockwave therapy then it might be worth a try. But be prepared to repeat this in a year or two as there is no evidence that the effects will constant".

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