You won’t find many men talking about it because of fear and shame, but erectile dysfunction is a growing problem among the male population around the world (1).
Although medications like Sildenafil and Tadalafil are the treatments of choice for many doctors, some patients are still looking for alternative options to treat their problems with erection. One of these is the massage for erectile dysfunction.
Understanding Prostatic Massage for Erectile Dysfunction
Before oral medications, surgeries, implants, and penis pumps became popular treatment options for erectile dysfunction, men relied heavily on massage for erectile dysfunction.
Prostatic massage involved maneuvers that help clear the prostatic duct to relieve the symptoms of erectile dysfunction. The prostatic massage was also a popular therapy option for patients with prostatitis, although it was abandoned as a primary form of treatment almost three decades ago (2).
Today, a lot of men still turn to prostatic massage to not only deal with erection problems but also to prevent infections related to blocked fluids.
Some studies have shown that prostatic massage has brought improvements in men with erectile dysfunction. However, these studies are still too small to prove the efficiency of this form of alternative treatment.
Finding a Prostatic Massage Practitioner
If you’re interested in trying prostatic massage to relieve your erectile dysfunction symptoms, it’s essential to find the right practitioner for it. Some doctors, urologists, or family health practitioners can recommend a professional for you while some offer prostatic massage themselves, so don’t be afraid to ask.
You should never attempt to do a prostatic massage yourself even if you can see tutorials online because it is a specialized treatment that requires the specialization of a professional prostatic massage practitioner. It’s also important to note that most health insurance plans don’t cover prostatic massage unless a medical doctor does it. So make sure to call your health insurance provider beforehand to know if you need to shoulder the expenses or not.
Preparing for Prostatic Massage
Before going into an appointment, it’s essential to know what to expect during a massage for erectile dysfunction. Like other types of massage, prostatic massage involves gentle massages to the tissues in and around your penile area.
Most men with erectile dysfunction go to appointments three to four times a week for four weeks, but sessions can be more frequent depending on the symptoms.
Other Forms of Alternative Treatments for Erectile Dysfunction
Aside from prostatic massage, there are also other popular alternative treatments for erectile dysfunction:
- Thai Genital Massage
In Thailand, it’s easy to find several types of massage for erectile dysfunction. Chi Nei Tsang is a popular traditional healing massage that focuses on the abdominal area and combines Thai and Chinese massage with meditation techniques to address a wide range of health problems, including erectile dysfunction.
Jabkasai is another form of genital massage that’s used to stimulate the internal organs, including the reproductive system.
- Acupressure
Acupressure has been practiced in Chinese traditional medicine for more than 2,000 years to facilitate healing by targeting different points in the body (3).
The concept behind acupressure is that when energy blocks are released in the body, they can help restore wellness and correct any imbalances that lead to illnesses.
According to experts, acupressure works much like oral medications in the sense that it causes blood vessels to dilate, therefore causing an erection. Acupressure can also be done at home, which is why it’s popular among a lot of people.
- Low-Intensity Extracorporeal Shockwave
From a more medical standpoint, the use of low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave (LI-ESW) to treat erectile dysfunction is another popular alternative option that has started with a research study back in the 1990s by Young and Dyson.
The duo discovered the use of ultrasound and how it increases angiogenesis by increasing the expression of vascular endothelial growth factors (4).
The Takeaway
Although there are currently 150 million men who have erectile dysfunction around the world, the number of conventional and alternative treatments is also increasing.
But if you’re part of the statistic, it’s still crucial to consult your doctor first before undergoing any form of treatment. This way, you’ll be able to get a full assessment of your symptoms to rule out any more significant conditions that might be causing your erectile dysfunction (5).
At the end of the day, it’s all about finding the right treatment that works for you. Whether it’s taking Viagra or doing massage for erectile dysfunction, you need to be extra careful when trying treatments to avoid getting yourself into more problems.
