Wave therapy is a non-invasive procedure that has been shown to improve certain types of erectile dysfunction. With LISWT, the doctor uses a device similar to a wand to apply mild shock waves to the penis. Studies have shown that treatment is associated with the growth of new blood vessels and (in animal studies) with the recruitment of stem cells into the penis. It is very important to recognize that there are two types of wave therapy and that there is a difference between what is called acoustic radio therapy and extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), which has been clinically researched and applied in various fields of medicine with varying degrees of success.
Shock waves (SW) are acoustic waves that carry energy and, when propagated through a medium, can be directed and focused in a non-invasive way to affect a selected distant anatomical region. Current lines of research on new therapies for erectile dysfunction are based on the rho-kinase pathway, in addition to exploring the viability of gene therapy through intracorporeal plasmid injections and regenerative therapy with stem cells. Low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (LI-ESWT) is a novel modality that has recently been developed to treat erectile dysfunction (ED).
