The clinical term for acoustic wave therapy is low-intensity shockwave therapy (LiSWT). Sound pulse technology has been used in orthopedics to help heal broken bones, injured ligaments, and injured tendons, and has also been used to improve wound healing., LiSWT has been proven to speed up tissue repair and cell growth by targeting the affected area with high-energy sound waves.
Acoustic wave therapy for ED, known as Shockwave, or GAINSWave, stimulates the corpora cavernosa (the penile arteries) and associated nerve tissue. Each Shockwave session starts with a topical numbing solution applied to the patient’s genitals.Because erectile tissue extends beyond the area of the penis, treatment will include the area under the testicles and up to the perineum, except with patients who have prostate cancer. Different solutions with different strengths are used, depending on the patient’s health and individual pain response. If a patient is especially nervous about pain, a penile dorsal block may be used to completely block nerve response during the therapy. The ED specialist will manage the numbness to ensure the effect wears off as soon as possible, from 2 ½ to 4 hours.
An instrument is used to apply soundwaves that stimulate a mechanical and chemical response in the body. The soundwaves break up micro-plaque in the arteries that feed the penis.
The Duolith® device by Storz Medical is used to apply extracorporeal shock wave treatment (ESWT). Used for the treatment of vascular erectile dysfunction since 2010, the effectiveness of the Duolith® device and of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in general have been demonstrated in clinical studies.
The Duolith® generates focused shock waves with a powerful and individually selectable energy range. Equipped with the time-tested Storz Medical cylindrical coil, the Duolith® delivers a constantly high energy dynamic in the entire focus zone.
AUUA is currently the only practice in Arizona that employs the advanced DUOLITH® device by Storz Medical to treat ED.
A typical session lasts 20-25 minutes in blocks of 2000 pulses. After 2000, the instrument shuts off, and the therapist will proceed to another area. A treatment plan of acoustic wave therapy typically involves six sessions, spaced into two weeks, with three sessions a week, or three weeks, with two sessions a week.
As a drug-free alternative to Viagra and other potency drugs, shockwave therapy provides more than a short term effect, and treats the cause instead of the symptom. The increase in nitric oxide creates a similar effect as PDE-5 inhibitors, such as Vardenafil (Viagra), Sildenafil (Levitra), and Tadalafil (Cialis), but the effect of the treatment can last up to two years. 4-12 weeks after the therapy, patients will experience neovascularization, the breaking up of plaque and the formation of new blood vessels. Over the course of treatment, patients will begin to see the benefits, and some men experience a marked improvement after only one session. Patients report increased sensitivity and firmer, longer lasting erections.
These attributes make the shockwave treatment an attractive option, with more restorative and longer lasting results.
Consider GAINSWave, or shock wave acoustic therapy and take advantage of the long term effects of this innovative ED treatment.