Erectile dysfunction is a male sexual problem much more common than generally thought and afflicts males of all ages. The causes can be both psychological and physical. A recent study has estimated that 48% of men over the age of 38, equivalent to an estimated 3.000.000 men in Italy alone, have suffered at least once of this disorder, 10% between the 40 and 50, 40% between 60 and 70 and 50% over the age of 70.
Pharmacological therapies for impotence have never been very popular with men, who normally feel that having to take a drug just prior to having sex undermines their masculinity. This is one of the main reasons why men prefer to give up their sexual life as soon as the problem arises rather than seeking a therapy. In the eighties, Prof. Carlo Bellerofonte, a specialist in urology and andrology, was among the first to hypothesize the use of both radial and focal shock waves to treat sexual dysfunctions.
The use of shock waves represents an important innovation in treatment of erectile dysfunction and this thanks to the low intensity parallel beam since it is not focused on a specific point. Another disorder which can benefit from this kind of treatment is La Peyronie’s disease or induratio penis plastica, a disease that leads to a curvature of the penis. Low intensity shock waves seam to counteract this phenomenon and the involution of the problem is even more evident after approximately one month.
The therapy proves successful even in cases of impotence following surgical treatment of radical prostatectomy, achieving encouraging results even in patients’ who underwent surgical procedure years before. In combination to the shock wave treatment it could be useful a systemic therapy could also be adopted consisting of vasodilators such as arginine, tadalafil type 5 phosphodiesterase inhibitor or serenoa repens, supplements based on Griffonia, Hawthorn, , Escolzia, Passiflora, Poppy and Vitamin B6, Boswellia, Lycopene, Cranberry, Selenium, OKG, Vitamin A, Paba, Avocado.
Furthermore, by adding auricular therapy or acupuncture the psychic side of the disorder could also be taken care of.