Erectile Dysfunction: How Physical Therapy and Shockwave Therapy Are Changing the Game
Having trouble getting (or keeping) it up? You’re not alone. In fact, more than half of all 40-year-old men have erectile dysfunction, and the prevalence only goes up as the years pass. For those with ED, doctors often push medication, but the truth is that medication doesn’t always solve the problem, and sometimes it can cause more harm than good.
When it comes to erectile dysfunction, it can help to address its root cause, which is what physical therapy and shockwave therapy do. Both therapies promote blood flow— the most common cause of ED—improving your time in the bedroom without medication or its unpleasant side effects.
Interested in seeing the benefits of physical therapy and shockwave therapy for ED? Contact Arancia Physical Therapy today to see how our staff can help you treat erectile dysfunction without medication.
What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction refers to an inability to get and/or keep an erection that is firm enough for sex. It can definitely be a ‘downer,’ especially when your head is in the moment, but the rest of your body hasn’t gotten the memo.
As for what can cause erectile dysfunction, there are both physical and mental causes.
Physical causes of erectile dysfunction typically involve circulation problems—the body cannot pump enough blood to the penis, affecting your ability to get an erection. Some culprits may include:
Heart disease
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Obesity
Diabetes
You may also have weak pelvic floor muscles, which are the muscles that stretch front to back from your pelvic bone to your tailbone and side-to-side from each sitting bone. Your pelvic floor muscles help to manage blood flow to your penis by trapping blood in the penis, which then creates an erection. A weak pelvic floor means your muscles aren’t strong enough to hold the blood, leading to ED.
Other physical causes of erectile dysfunction may include the use of tobacco or alcohol or the presence of any sleep conditions.
Your brain can also get too involved in your sex life. It plays a role in getting sexually excited and, ultimately, telling the body that it’s time to get things going, but if you’re dealing with depression, anxiety, stress, or relationship problems, your brain might not be in the right frame of mind to act on any sexual feelings.
The Benefits of Hands-on Manual Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction
Medicine, shots, and surgery—these are the common treatments for those with erectile dysfunction, but they also come with a list of potential side effects and risks. On top of that, they don’t always work, with phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors, a first-line intervention for ED, successful in only 60% of patients.
There are safer alternatives; physical therapy offers a drug-free solution to ED that targets its root cause, restoring function and offering a lasting solution. Here’s how.
As we know, the primary cause of ED relates to poor blood flow, either from insufficient circulation or because the pelvic floor muscles are too weak to contain blood within the penis. Pelvic floor physical therapy utilizes exercises and techniques to improve blood flow and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, and by doing this, it addresses the underlying physical issues that may contribute to ED.
The benefits that physical therapy offers as a treatment for erectile dysfunction have been well-documented. A review of 37 papers concerning erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation found that pelvic floor physical therapy for men helped to normalize muscle tone and improve muscle relaxation, improving erectile dysfunction.
A Shocking Addition: The Benefits of Shockwave Therapy for ED
To really address all contributors to ED, it can be beneficial to combine physical therapy with shockwave therapy.
Shockwave therapy uses a small wand-like device to target sound waves to a specific area. In the case of ED, these sound waves stimulate penile tissue, grow new blood vessels, and promote blood flow, which can also speed up any healing.
Research has shown that shockwave therapy can be a powerful addition to your ED treatment, with it shown to significantly improve ED when combined with medication versus when using medication alone. This means that, for men who haven’t responded to medication in the past, shockwave therapy may be the boost the body needs to get and keep an erection.
Between shockwave therapy and physical therapy, both the soft tissue and circulation components of ED can be addressed, making the two therapies more powerful together than they are separately.
Ready to Take the First Step?
Erectile dysfunction doesn’t always require medication—sometimes, all you have to do is focus on improving blood flow and strengthening your muscles.
If you’re struggling with ED and looking for a natural, effective solution, we’re here to help. Book a discovery visit to see if pelvic floor physical therapy and shockwave therapy are right for you.