I recently treated a patient who did not have “erectile dysfunction” with shockwave therapy using the erectile dysfunction protocol. During the explanation of the therapy and throughout the treatment both he and his wife kept thinking that nothing would come of the treatment since he didn’t have erectile dysfunction (ED). That was on Friday. Today is Monday and they just left the office praising the treatment (they brought in chocolate and wine as a thank you gift).
ED is defined as having difficulty getting or keeping a firm enough erection to be able to have sex. That’s like saying something is either black or white and ignoring the 50 shades of grey (see what I did there?). Waiting until you aren’t able to have sex is like not worrying about heart disease until you have a heart attack. Erectile dysfunction covers the entire spectrum from Jackhammer to no hammer. So regardless of where you fall on the ED spectrum it can be better.
I could bore you and write about the causes of erectile dysfunction, but that’s something I can bore you about in person. The big question is what can you do to have better sex?
Get your testosterone level optimized. And be careful who you ask what is optimal (low normal is not optimal). One of the erectile chemical pathways is testosterone dependent and low testosterone also adversely affects penis’ smooth muscle content and penile hemodynamics leading to veno-occlusive dysfunction (so much for not boring you). Besides better sex, optimizing testosterone can also improve mood, energy, sleep, and muscle mass. But sometimes optimizing testosterone alone isn’t enough.
The little blue pill (or something like it). Medications like sildenafil (Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis) are usually the first treatment to combat ED and they work for many men. Usually by the time someone comes to see me for ED they’ve already tried these medications. That doesn’t mean I won’t give them another shot with someone who tells me it didn’t work for them. In a 12 week study men who had failed to respond to sildenafil in the past were treated with a combination of testosterone therapy and sildenafil. This study showed a significant improvement in erectile function, orgasmic function, and satisfaction i.e. better sex.
Low intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy, the shockwave therapy I mentioned above, has been shown to significantly improve erectile function in patients with vasculogenic ED (International Journal of Impotence Research). Shockwave therapy breaks up plaque in the vessels that may be limiting blood flow and stimulates the growth of new blood vessels. It also activates the growth of new nerve tissue which enhances sensitivity.
Growth factor injections have been proven to increase the length and girth of the penis as well as increase sensitivity. At this time the growth factor medium with the best track record for erectile enhancement has been platelet rich plasma (PRP). PRP is processed from your own blood so there is no risk of an allergic reaction. Once PRP is injected it stimulates the growth of new blood vessels, nerves, and tissue that can lead to increase penile length and girth, stronger and firmer erections, enhanced sensitivity, increased stamina, and reduced chance of premature ejaculation.
Self injected medications like Trimix are useful when men can’t take meds like the little blue pill or if they’re not effective. Trimix is a mixture of three (go figure) medications which each improve erections but mixed together can cause an erection in most men. The down side is you have to inject it into your penis. Right before sex. It also can take a while to find the right dose and overdosing can lead to a prolonged erection that can cause permanent damage to the penis.
These are the best non-surgical ways to enhance erectile function. But you have to remember that it often takes more than one approach for best results and you don’t have to wait until you can’t have sex to start treatment. If your love life isn’t what it once was, give us a call and make an appointment (262) 373-0169.
