New-age treatment erases effects of erectile dysfunction.
Nearly three dozen red push pins dot the map of the world that hangs on the wall behind the desk Gerry* sits at in his Bradenton home office. The pins represent all the countries the 68-year-old retired insurance executive has visited during his lifetime.
“I’m fortunate that my work took me virtually around the world,” Gerry exudes. “I’ve always loved to travel, and when you combine all the work travel with vacations, I’ve been to 32 countries and every continent except Antarctica.”
Gerry’s wife of 38 years has accompanied him on many of his trips, and together they’ve created a treasure trove of memories. Their trip to Denmark, Sweden and Norway last spring proved quite memorable as well, though there was an aspect Gerry would rather forget.
“We were in Copenhagen on the first leg of the trip, our second night there, and I’d never experienced this before, but I couldn’t maintain an erection,” Gerry reveals. “I thought at first that it was just a matter of fatigue, but that wasn’t it.
“The problem persisted all through the trip, which really put quite a damper on it. My wife kept saying that it wasn’t a problem and not to let it ruin our trip, but I was concerned, so when we got back home I started researching it.”
What Gerry learned through his research is that he was suffering from erectile dysfunction, or ED, which is actually quite common. In fact, studies show that some form of erectile dysfunction affects more than half of all men during their lifetime.
The likelihood of a dysfunctional episode is even greater among men suffering from hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Smoking, heavy consumption of alcohol and drugs (either illicit or prescription) can also cause erectile dysfunction.
The condition is one that has been treated for years by doctors prescribing oral medications such as VIAGRA®, CIALIS® and LEVITRA®, and those medications can indeed deliver the desired results. So can some surgical procedures.
But there is now a far more promising nonsurgical, drug-free treatment for erectile dysfunction that many doctors, including David S. Zamikoff, DC, of the Natural Healing Arts Medical Center in Bradenton, prefer.
Root Cause
The treatment is called GAINSWave therapy and it has become the choice of many doctors over medications because unlike medications, it addresses the root cause of erectile dysfunction, which is often a lack of proper blood flow to the penis.
“Of the millions of men who have struggled to achieve a natural erectile response, approximately eighty percent do so because of poor circulatory issues in which the tiny capillaries in the penis and urogenital area are impaired,”
Dr Zamikoff educates.
“The likelihood of that kind of impairment increases dramatically as men age and plaque builds up in the blood vessels, but oral medications cannot remove the plaque or open those compromised blood vessels to allow for a more regular flow of blood to the penis.
“The one treatment that can do all that and much more is GAINSWave therapy, which is based on the same technology that’s used to break up kidney stones, meaning it uses sound-wave
technology to do the job.”
Referred to clinically as extracorporeal shock wave therapy, or ESWT, GAINSWave uses rapid pulses of high-frequency acoustic sound waves to break up the plaque and calcium that have built up inside old or damaged blood vessels.
The result is an increase in blood flow through the existing, rejuvenated blood vessels, the creation of new blood vessels and the creation of new nerve tissue that improves sensitivity in the penis, which then improves the quality of the erection.
“It’s the newest and most promising treatment yet for ED,” Dr. Zamikoff says of the FDA-approved GAINSWave procedure, which has been used as a treatment option in Europe for more than 15 years and was approved for use in the United States in 2015.
“GAINSWave can also be used to treat Peyronie’s disease, which is what occurs when scar tissue builds up in the penis and causes an abnormal bend or curvature to the penis that can impede urination and/or ejaculation.
“By making certain adjustments to the machine’s settings, we can treat the fibrous tissue the same way we treat blood vessels and break down the scar tissue that may be causing the irregular shape. The result is a straighter, pain-free erection.”
Using a hand-held device, GAINSWave treatments are performed in the doctor’s office, where a single treatment lasts about 30 minutes. A full course of therapy generally consists of six sessions performed twice a week over the course of three weeks.
“The response in many cases is almost immediate,” Dr. Zamikoff enthuses. “In fact, most patients begin to experience a noticeable difference in the quality of their erections as well as an improvement in sexual performance after just one treatment.
“Another advantage we’ve found is that there are no side effects associated with this treatment. Nor is there any downtime for the patient. Once the procedure is over, the patient can walk out of the office and return to normal activities.”
Remarkable Results
The success rate associated with the GAINSWave technology is exceptional as well. One study performed in Europe discovered that the benefits of a single, 12-treatment course of GAINSWave therapy can last for as long as two years.
Dr. Zamikoff says that more than a year of continuous benefits is the norm for most patients. He also notes that while it’s not necessary, some patients choose to return for once-a-month “maintenance treatments” to ensure sustained benefits.
“This really is the wave of the future for ED treatment because for someone who is young without any medical problems, the success rate is nearly one hundred percent,” Dr. Zamikoff adds. “And overall, the success rate is about seventy-five percent.”
Gerry is among those who reported positive results after just one round of treatments. He says he may opt to have another round of GAINSWave treatments in the future but that right now, his performance is more than satisfactory.
“I’ll be turning sixty-nine later this year, and in the bedroom, I feel like I’m half that age,” Gerry exudes. “It’s really remarkable what this GAINSWave does for you. And the treatments are all very quick and painless. A few minutes is all it takes.
“And I have to say how professional everyone at Dr. Zamikoff’s office is. Let’s face it, this is a touchy subject for men. It’s not something anybody is going to brag about. But they put you at ease and make you feel comfortable.
“GAINSWave did exactly what it says it does. I wanted to get back the level of sexual performance I was at before this problem arose and I didn’t want to have to take any medications or go through any kind of surgery to do it.
“And thankfully, I didn’t have to go those routes. GAINSWave took care of the problem, which is why I highly recommend it to anyone who’s suffering with ED. It’s given me back a lot of confidence and a very important part of my life.”
