The procedure can take approximately 15 minutes to perform and is done in the office. It does not require an anesthetic, and you can drive to and from your appointment. No preparation is necessary prior to your treatment.

A wand-like device is applied to several treatment areas along the penis.

Treatment protocol is weekly for a total of 6 treatments.

Shockwave therapy has been around for a number of years and has been most commonly used in the treatment of kidney stones and orthopaedic injuries. More recently, Urologists have recognized the role that Shockwave therapy or rather low-intensity shockwave therapy (LiSWT) may play with erectile dysfunction. 

In most individuals, LiSWT can take one to three months to start having an effect. Further data is still needed to evaluate long-term durability of treatment, but over 50% of patients with mild erectile dysfunction had a sustained response at 2 years after therapy. It is important to continue to make sure you are eating a well-balanced diet, exercising, reducing stress and sleeping well to maximize treatment effectiveness.

This procedure works best for men with mild erectile dysfunction who are:

• not responding to medications adequately,

• not interested in taking medications, or

• interested in trying regenerative therapy to reverse some of the causes of ED.

It is still considered an experimental treatment option, as further data is required to identify the best candidates for shockwave and how long the treatment lasts.

Shockwave Therapy is not covered by Manitoba Health.

You may experience some side effects, but they are very rare and generally mild. These may include: 

• mild pain at the site during the procedure, 

• minor bruising on and around the penis, 

Clinical studies have generally shown shockwave therapy to be effective and safe, but more research is needed to identify potential risks and the best treatment protocol.

This is a great question. Even though numerous studies have been published on Shockwave Therapy, further studies are required to establish the most effective device, the ideal treatment regimen and who would benefit the most from Shockwave Therapy. Further, there are a number of home shockwave treatments which are not equivalent nor backed by research as compared to the medical grade device used at Men’s Health Clinic Manitoba.

Unlike other Men’s Health Clinics, our specialists have extensive experience in all treatment options for ED and have published on Shockwave Therapy for ED. Our goal is to work along with our patients to offer them the treatment that is right for them.

• Patel P, Katz J, Lokeshwar SD, et al. Phase II Randomized, Clinical Trial Evaluating 2 Schedules of Low-Intensity Shockwave Therapy for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction. Sex Med. 2020 Mar 14.

• Patel P, Huang C, Molina M, Ramasamy R. Clinical Trial Update on Shockwave Therapy and Future of Erectile Function Restoration. IJIR. 2019 Jan 22.

One treatment lasts between 20–30 minutes. For good to excellent treatment results, our treatment protocol recommends several meetings over a period of about six weeks.

Around three weeks after treatment, there can be improvement in erectile function. Treatment effect may last for up to two years after treatment.

Generally, after performing the shockwave treatment cycle, no further therapy sessions are needed. You can, however, resume the treatment four weeks after the first treatment cycle.

A very common question we are often asked. Unfortunately, there exists little to no evidence to support the use of Shockwave Therapy for Peyronie’s Disease, as no study has demonstrated an improvement in penile curvature. However, shockwave therapy has been shown to be effective for plaque related pain.