Brand Partner Content
Difficulty performing in bed can be a massive blow to a guy’s self-confidence. In addition to being physically and mentally disappointing, it can create anxiety about his ability to satisfy the needs of his partner. This all contributes to low self-confidence, which can spill over into many other aspects of life.
The good news? There are options for fixing erectile dysfunction (ED). The bad news? Many popular solutions have serious drawbacks that can be severe and painful.
Many of these proposed solutions are also temporary. They may help a man have an erection, but they do not fix the problem that caused his equipment to malfunction in the first place: poor blood flow.
Popular pills and injections for ED only mask the symptoms of poor blood flow for a short period of time – like jumping a dead battery without checking the alternator to see if it will be capable of recharging for future trips.
An ideal solution – and one that’s much more permanent – is called shockwave therapy. Over the past decade, it’s helped thousands of men, and now it’s available at home for the first time.
Let’s dive into the science of shockwave therapy and uncover the power of a new device that guys can use at home to permanently fix the leading cause of ED, as well as other erectile problems such as venous leakage and Peyronie’s disease.
Blood Flow: Critical To Healthy Erections
All men have trouble getting hard from time to time. It may be a case of sexual performance anxiety, a stressful day at work, or maybe a night of imbibing too much alcohol.
However, if erectile difficulties become a more persistent problem, it could be what doctors and scientists call erectile dysfunction (ED). Despite the name, there’s really nothing dysfunctional about it. In fact, it’s an entirely natural part of the aging process that will impact every man at some point as they grow older.
This wasn’t really discussed in sex ed class, and most men have no idea that the problem is completely reversible.
The root cause is poor blood flow. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the major cause of ED – up to 60% of cases – are caused by poor blood flow to the tissue in the penis. When men become aroused, vessels feeding the penis relax and fill with blood. When this happens, blood spills into the corpora cavernosa, two pillars of spongy tissue in the shaft of the penis, leading to an erection.
If the corpora cavernosa becomes starved of blood due to reduced circulation, men are not able to achieve or maintain an erection. Another possibility is a soft erection that’s just as frustrating as no erection at all and serves as a red flag that the penis isn’t getting the blood it needs to work its best.
So what causes reduced blood flow to the penis? Although it can happen in younger guys, it’s actually a natural part of aging. By age 40, up to 40% of all guys have ED and by age 70 that number shoots up to 70%. Low blood flow can be even worse in men with high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.
Shockwave therapy – also known as acoustic soundwave therapy or low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (Li-ESWT) – is the best way to fix the problem by more permanently increasing blood flow to the penis. Urologists have used this type of therapy in their clinics for more than a decade, but a new at-home shockwave therapy device called The Phoenix allows men to firm up their erections in the comfort and privacy of their own homes.
To understand how The Phoenix is revolutionizing men’s sexual health, we need to flashback to 1998, when Viagra first made headlines. . . .
Pills and Injections Are Only Band Aids
When Viagra first came on the market, men breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, there was a pharmaceutical solution for ED. Since then, doctors have prescribed Viagra’s generic version sildenafil and other similar ED medications like Cialis (tadalafil) as the first choice to treat erectile problems.
These drugs are also called PDE5 inhibitors. That’s because they inhibit the blood-flow-blocking PDE5 enzyme. By widening blood vessels, this temporarily increases blood flow to the corpus cavernosa of the penis, which in turn leads to an erection.
Problem solved, right? Not exactly. Men began to realize these drugs have drawbacks.
In order to get a prescription, guys must talk to their doctor about their sexual problems, which is embarrassing and awkward. In addition, men must remember to take the pills at the right time before sex in order for them to work correctly. The pills also often stop working over time as the body gets used to them.
The biggest problem with ED medications is that they’re only a band aid solution. By widening vessels they cause the blood to flow around the plaque that’s blocking blood flow in the first place.
“I compare it to a rush-hour traffic jam,” says urologist Paul Thompson, M.D., who created the protocol for The Phoenix. “ED medications don’t get rid of the traffic jam. They only create a temporary detour around it.”
Just like other pharmaceuticals, ED pills have potential side effects. Less serious but frustrating side effects can include headaches, upset stomach, nasal congestion, and muscle pain – to name just a few. Rare, but serious side effects include:
- Sudden vision loss in one or both eyes
- Sudden full or partial hearing loss
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Dizziness
- Erections that last longer than four hours, a serious medical condition known as priapism.
More Invasive Alternatives
Concerned about these side effects, many men search for alternatives – or at least ways to use ED medications less often.
Penile injections are another option, but the idea of stabbing the shaft with a needle shortly before sex still interrupts the flow of a romantic evening.
Penile implant surgery (inserting a penile prostheses into the shaft) is another option, but it’s invasive and requires significant downtime and recovery. Plus, the prosthesis requires ongoing maintenance by a physician.
The Advantages of At-Home Shockwave Therapy
Into this less-than-ideal landscape stepped The Phoenix, a highly effective way to eliminate the main cause of ED – poor penile blood flow. The Phoenix solves the problem that pills only mask temporarily. This at-home shockwave therapy device uses targeted, specially calibrated shockwaves (powerful sound waves) to maximize blood flow to the penis by safely and permanently eliminating plaque and encouraging the growth of new blood vessels.
Over several months, The Phoenix also promotes the growth of healthy new blood vessels.
“It’s like adding another lane to the highway to eliminate future traffic congestion,” says Dr. Thompson. “The cleared vessels, along with the new ones that develop, open the way for more blood to flow into the penis, leading to firmer erections.”
The Li-ESWT technology that The Phoenix uses is a proven method. More than 40 clinical trials and case studies show Li-ESWT works to treat ED. For example, in one study of 78 men, Li-ESWT was found to be an effective alternative for guys who had been prescribed 100 mg of the on-demand ED drug sildenafil (Viagra).
For the past decade, this type of ED therapy could only be performed in a doctor’s office. It’s highly effective in boosting blood flow to the penis, but it wasn’t affordable or accessible for most men.
A Real Solution from the Comfort of Home
The average in-clinic shockwave therapy treatment is $500 per session, setting patients back thousands of dollars. Men had to schedule multiple appointments and take time off to travel to a clinic that offered it – sometimes hundreds of miles away.
Spending thousands of dollars out of pocket and finding time in a busy schedule were real barriers for men who could benefit from this life-changing technology.
The Phoenix removed these barriers by allowing men to safely and affordably perform shockwave treatments in the comfort and privacy of their own homes. The technology includes a patented smart guidance system which gives anyone the ability to easily perform effective treatments without medical training.
More Advantages of At-Home Shockwave Therapy for ED
Unlike pharmaceuticals, The Phoenix can be ordered without a trip to the doctor’s office for a prescription. There’s no need to have an awkward conversation. Order it online and it will arrive discreetly at your door.
This at-home device is also ultra-convenient for busy guys who don’t have time to travel for repeated appointments or take time off of work to get to multiple doctor’s appointments.
Men can use The Phoenix along with other solutions, although after 120 days, most men find they no longer need pills or injections.
Solving A Common Cause of Soft Erections
Unlike pills, shockwave therapy is effective at permanently eliminating a frustrating and common problem in many men with ED: venous leakage. It’s estimated that 68% to 86% of men with ED have venous leakage, a condition where blood vessels fail to hold the blood required for a healthy erection. This leads to softer erections that are difficult to maintain. Men with this problem often can achieve a hard erection at first, but gradually lose the firmness before they can climax.
The Phoenix’s targeted shockwaves trigger angiogenesis – the creation of new healthy blood vessels – allowing the penis to more effectively capture and retain the blood it needs to remain rock hard for sexual activity, even in cases of venous leakage.
Improved blood flow also helps nourish the tissue with stem cells and other essential nutrients. Over time, this allows men to turn back the clock by keeping the penis healthy and performing its best.
A New Solution for Peyronie’s Disease
Another advantage of The Phoenix is that it can be used to help men dealing with Peyronie’s Disease – the sudden accumulation of fibrous scar tissue in the shaft of the penis, often as a result of an injury. This condition can lead to painful erections as the shaft of the penis bends around the mass.
Before acoustic shockwave therapy, injections or surgery were the only treatment options for Peyronie’s disease, but many men are now using The Phoenix to perform shockwave therapy off-label to fix this condition at home.
Targeted shockwaves are delivered into the treatment area to help heal the mass of fibrous scar tissue. Blood flow to the injury is also improved, which delivers stem cells and other important nutrients to support recovery.
“It’s like peeling back the layers of an onion,” Dr. Thompson describes. “It can take many treatments, especially if the fibrous scar tissue has had time to harden, but many men are choosing this option over injections or surgery, which both have side effects.”
Urologist-Developed Protocol
Dr. Thompson developed an ED protocol based on the thousands of treatments he’s performed, with great success, in his clinics. This makes The Phoenix safe and effective to use at home.
For ED, Men perform treatments by placing The Phoenix’s smooth metal tip against the shaft of the penis. Once powered on, the tip is moved along 5 specific lines of travel, as indicated by the smart guidance system. You can visit their How The Phoenix Works page to discover more.
According to The Phoenix team, using the device requires zero medical training because it was designed for ease of use and safety, with features like:
- Proprietary built-in guidance software, which walks the user through every step of a treatment.
- A 36-hour lockout mechanism to safely perform clinical-grade treatment, without overdoing it.
- Easy-to-follow protocols, tailored to specific concerns or goals.
Dr. Thompson’s ED protocol involves two treatments per week for 30 days, then 30 days of rest to allow blood vessels time to recover. Repeat at least once, then only as-needed.
An optional strategy is to use a penis pump together with The Phoenix. Dr. Thompson recommends pumping twice a day during the weeks men are performing treatments with The Phoenix. This pulls oxygen-rich blood into the treatment area, helping to support tissue recovery between sessions.
Dr. Thompson also created a specific Peyronie’s protocol. Links to in-depth videos on this protocol are included with the device.
Treatments with The Phoenix shouldn’t hurt, but some men experience mild discomfort. To address this possibility, The Phoenix comes with a sample of 4% lidocaine numbing cream. Many guys don’t need to use this, especially as they get used to the sensation of the treatment tip moving along the skin.
Men using The Phoenix have access to experts that are available 24/7, who can answer any questions about the protocol and using the device.
Men’s Experience with the Phoenix
After completing Dr. Thompson’s 120-day protocol, over 85% of men report noticeable improvement in the quality of their erections. These improvements can occur anywhere from 60 to 120 days. After this time, some men choose to continue treatments, but the majority of men find they only need to do maintenance treatments every 6-12 months.
More than 20,000 men have tried The Phoenix. Hundreds of verified customers have weighed in about their experience. You can read verified reviews here.
“The overwhelming majority of men we talk to have experienced noticeable improvement thanks to The Phoenix, which is reflected in our reviews,” says James Lang, Director, Customer Experience at The Phoenix. “This includes partners who thought they had to settle for a decline in performance as they grew older together. Hearing from the people whose lives we’ve helped improve is deeply rewarding.”
Patience and Commitment to the Protocol Pay Off
A relatively small percentage of men report that the device hasn’t worked for them. However, Lang says that in the majority of those cases the men haven’t stayed with the 120-day protocol.
“We like to compare it to working out,” says Lang. “You wouldn’t expect to lift weights for the first time and have more muscular arms the next morning. Like working out, it takes time to achieve real benefits. While waiting for the full effects to kick in, guys can continue to use pills and other treatments under the supervision of their doctor, but most of our customers no longer need pills or injections after a few months with The Phoenix.”
In other cases, Lang says men who aren’t seeing any benefit are taking medications that have a known side effect of ED or who have poorly managed diabetes or high blood pressure.
“If guys are not taking care of themselves, it will impact the results they see with The Phoenix,” says Lang. “That’s why it’s so important to work with your doctor to manage your entire health picture.”
Lang recommends working with a doctor to put into practice the following measures that maximize results with The Phoenix:
- Healthy Diet, Exercise, and Weight Management – Eating a healthy diet and exercising can improve sexual health. Maintaining a healthy weight is also known to improve erectile function.
- Regular Check-Ups – Working with a doctor can help men manage conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. A urologist also can measure levels of testosterone and other key sexual performance indicators.
Is The Phoenix Right For You?
To help guys decide whether The Phoenix is likely to improve their erections, the company has created a quiz customized to men’s specific problems whether it’s ED, improving and restoring performance that has gone soft with aging, preventing future problems, or fixing a curved penis.
The bottom line? This at-home shockwave therapy device for ED could be a game-changer for men seeking a more satisfying sex life – especially as they grow older. With 40% of men experiencing difficulty by age 40, it’s never too early to start thinking about maintaining and enhancing blood flow below the belt.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.