By Dr. Tom Oddo DC, CSCS, CEAS — West Hills Chiropractic Pain Center, Huntington, NY
I want to be direct about something before anything else: this is a topic a lot of men don’t want to talk about, and most of the information out there is either oversold or buried in medical language that doesn’t help anyone make a decision. So let me just tell you what low-intensity shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction is, what the evidence shows, who it actually helps, and what we’re doing at our Huntington office.
We’ve been using shockwave therapy at West Hills Chiropractic Pain Center for musculoskeletal conditions for years — plantar fasciitis, chronic tendinopathy, shoulder problems. The technology isn’t new to us. What’s newer is the application to erectile dysfunction, and the clinical data behind it has gotten strong enough that we decided to bring it here. It was running at another location before; we’ve now moved it to West Hills so Long Island patients in Huntington, Commack, Melville, Dix Hills, Syosset, and the surrounding area can access it without driving far.
What’s Actually Causing the Problem — and Why Shockwave Addresses It
The majority of erectile dysfunction in men over 40 is vascular in origin. The term is vasculogenic ED, and it means the issue isn’t hormonal, it isn’t psychological, it isn’t nerve damage — it’s blood flow. The cavernous arteries that supply the erectile tissue have become narrowed, stiffened, or functionally impaired. When those vessels can’t deliver adequate blood volume quickly enough, the mechanism fails.
Medications like sildenafil (Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis) work by inhibiting PDE5 — an enzyme that restricts blood vessel dilation. They work on the symptom in the moment. What they don’t do is address the underlying vascular problem. Stop taking them, and you’re back where you started. For men with mild to moderate vasculogenic ED, low-intensity shockwave therapy takes a different approach: it targets the tissue itself.
Low-intensity shockwave therapy — Li-ESWT, if you want the clinical abbreviation — uses acoustic pressure waves delivered at low energy to stimulate a biological response in the penile tissue. The mechanism that matters is angiogenesis: the formation of new blood vessels. The shockwaves activate growth factors including VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) that trigger the body to build new capillaries and restore microvascular function in the area. You’re not just dilating what’s there — you’re adding to it.
There’s also evidence that shockwave therapy breaks down micro-plaques in the cavernous arteries — the same kind of calcified deposits that restrict blood flow in cardiac vessels. That’s part of why the results in the right patient can be durable rather than just temporary.
What the Research Actually Shows
This isn’t fringe medicine. There are multiple randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews on Li-ESWT for erectile dysfunction. A 2017 meta-analysis in the Journal of Sexual Medicine — 14 studies, over 800 patients — found significant improvement in erectile function scores and a meaningful proportion of men achieving satisfactory erections without medication. A Cochrane review has examined the evidence base. The European Association of Urology includes shockwave therapy in its clinical guidelines for vasculogenic ED.
I’m not going to quote you a single number and say “this is what you’ll get.” The outcomes vary by severity of ED, patient age, cardiovascular health, and how long the problem has been present. What I can tell you is that for the right patient — mild to moderate vasculogenic ED — the evidence is solid enough that this is a legitimate first-line option, not a last resort.
Who Is — and Isn’t — a Good Candidate
The patients who tend to respond best:
- Men with mild to moderate vasculogenic ED — This is the core indication. If your ED is primarily a blood flow problem rather than a hormonal or neurological one, shockwave therapy is working on the actual mechanism of the condition.
- Men who respond to PDE5 inhibitors but don’t want to be on them long-term — If Viagra or Cialis works for you but you’d prefer not to be medication-dependent indefinitely, shockwave therapy is worth considering as an alternative that can produce lasting results.
- Men for whom PDE5 inhibitors have stopped working or work inconsistently — PDE5i efficacy can decline over time as the underlying vascular problem progresses. Shockwave therapy addresses that progression rather than just working around it.
- Men who can’t tolerate PDE5 inhibitors — Headaches, flushing, vision changes, interactions with cardiac medications. If you’ve been told you can’t take these drugs, or they’ve caused problems, a non-pharmacological option matters.
- Men in the early stages who want to get ahead of this — ED is often an early indicator of cardiovascular issues. Treating the vascular component early makes clinical sense.
Who isn’t a candidate, or requires more evaluation: men with ED that’s primarily hormonal (low testosterone), primarily neurological (post-radical prostatectomy, for example), or primarily psychological. Shockwave therapy doesn’t fix what it’s not designed to address, and part of what we do in the evaluation is figure out what’s actually driving the problem. We also need to know your cardiovascular history and current medications. We’re not going to put you on a protocol that isn’t appropriate for your situation.
What Treatment Looks Like at Our Huntington Office
The first visit is a consultation. We review your history, your current medications, any prior treatment for ED, and what you’ve already tried. If you have recent bloodwork — testosterone panel, metabolic panel — bring it. If you don’t, we’ll tell you whether we think you need it before starting.
Treatment sessions are short — typically 15 to 20 minutes. A handheld device is applied to specific zones of the penile tissue using a standardized protocol. There is no anesthesia involved. Most patients describe the sensation as a mild tapping or tingling. It’s not painful. There’s no downtime afterward — you can return to normal activity the same day.
A standard program is 6 sessions over 3 weeks, sometimes extended to 12 sessions depending on severity and response. Some men notice improvement during the program. For others, the tissue response develops over the 4 to 8 weeks following the final session as angiogenesis completes. Results in studies have been shown to persist for 12 to 24 months. We’ll follow up with you and be honest about whether a maintenance protocol makes sense.
Our West Hills office is at 400 W Jericho Turnpike in Huntington. We serve patients from throughout Nassau and Suffolk County — Huntington, West Hills, Commack, Dix Hills, Melville, Syosset, Cold Spring Harbor, Smithtown, and further out when people haven’t found the right answer closer to home. If you’re coming in for this specific service, you’ll be seen privately and the environment reflects that. There’s nothing clinical-cold about how we handle this.
Why We Added This at West Hills
The short answer: the evidence got to a point where it would have been the wrong call not to offer it. We’re a practice that’s been treating pain and injury since 1981. Our job is to give patients access to treatments that work. When the clinical data on Li-ESWT for vasculogenic ED became strong enough, and when we saw what it was doing for patients at our other location, moving it to West Hills was an easy decision.
I’ll also say this: there are a lot of providers offering this now, and the quality of protocols varies significantly. The device matters. The energy settings matter. The treatment zones and the number of pulses matter. We use a clinical-grade device running validated protocols — not a consumer-grade machine with a vague program. If you’re comparing providers, ask specifically what device they’re using and what protocol they’re following. That question will tell you a lot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is shockwave therapy for ED covered by insurance?
Currently, Li-ESWT for erectile dysfunction is not covered by most insurance plans in the United States. It’s considered an elective procedure for this indication. We’ll tell you the cost upfront — no surprises. Call us at (631) 659-2980 and we’ll walk you through what a program costs before you commit to anything.
How is this different from a urologist’s office?
A urologist who offers shockwave therapy is using the same underlying technology. The differences are in protocol, device, access, and context. We’ve been using shockwave for years in a musculoskeletal context, so our understanding of tissue response and energy delivery is clinical, not theoretical. We also tend to have shorter wait times and more personalized follow-through than a busy urology practice. If there’s a reason you need urology-specific care — active prostate issues, post-surgical complications — we’ll tell you that and refer you appropriately.
How many sessions will I need?
Most programs are 6 sessions over 3 weeks, with the option to extend to 12 sessions for more significant cases. We assess your response as we go. We’re not going to keep you coming in once we’ve accomplished what we set out to do.
Is it painful?
No. Low-intensity shockwave is distinctly different from high-energy shockwave used for kidney stones or some orthopedic procedures. The intensity is calibrated to stimulate tissue response, not damage it. Most patients describe a mild buzzing or tapping sensation. There’s no anesthesia and no recovery time.
How soon will I notice results?
It varies. Some men notice improvement during the treatment program. For most, the full effect develops over 4 to 8 weeks after the last session as angiogenesis completes. This isn’t a same-day fix — it’s a biological process that takes time to manifest. The tradeoff is that when it works, the results tend to last: studies show benefit persisting 12 to 24 months post-treatment.
Can I still take Viagra or Cialis while doing shockwave?
In most cases, yes — and some protocols actually recommend continuing PDE5 inhibitors during treatment as they may enhance the tissue response. We’ll review your current medications during the consultation and let you know what makes sense for your situation.
Where is your office and how do I get started?
We’re at 400 W Jericho Turnpike, Huntington, NY 11743. On-site parking. Hours are Monday through Friday 7 AM to 7 PM, Saturday 8 AM to noon. Call us at (631) 659-2980 or schedule online. The first step is a consultation — we’ll evaluate whether you’re a candidate before we talk about anything else.
Dr. Tom Oddo DC, CSCS, CEAS is a founding provider at West Hills Chiropractic Pain Center in Huntington, NY. The practice has been serving Long Island patients since 1981 with a team carrying over 100 years of combined clinical experience. To schedule a consultation for shockwave therapy, call (631) 659-2980 or book online here.