In a year, nearly 9 per cent of Canadian men experience some symptoms of prostatitis, which is the swelling and inflammation of the prostate gland. Prostatitis can cause pain all around the pelvis, lower back and abdomen, and genital region, it can also affect urination, as well as other symptoms like fever, chills, nausea, and sexual dysfunction.
According to the NIH, prostatitis is the most common urinary tract problem for men under 50. Serious prostatitis symptoms account for 3 per cent of Canadian male outpatient visits. Shockwave therapy offers a drug-free, non-invasive prostatitis treatment option.
Using acoustic sound waves, shockwave therapy accelerates healing by increasing blood circulation to the affected area. A study published in Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases evaluated the effectiveness of shockwave therapy for prostatitis.
Researchers compared a group of thirty men who received shockwave therapy to a sham control group of fifteen. Groups underwent one session per week for a total of six session. Researchers assessed pain, micturition, quality of life, and erectile function four, 12, and 24 weeks after treatment.
They noted considerable improvements at all timepoints in the shockwave group compared to the sham group. Additionally, they found shockwave therapy was easy and safe to perform without side-effects or the need for anesthesia.
A recent meta-analysis compared the efficacy and safety of shockwave therapy compared to acupuncture for prostatitis. Researchers analyzed nine randomized controlled trials with a total of 525 patients. Shockwave and acupuncture were both significantly better than sham procedures. Moreover, while shockwave and acupuncture both had similar long-term efficacy (over 24 weeks), shockwave therapy had better results both short term (around four weeks) and mid term (eight to 12 weeks).
A study published in EMJ Urology sheds more light on the long-term efficacy of shockwave therapy. Researchers examined two groups of patients with chronic prostatitis (CP) and chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS). One group had twenty-seven patients with CP/CPPS Category III-a and the second group had twenty-two patients with CP/CPPS Category III-a complicated with prostatic calculi. Group one had two procedures per week for three weeks, totalling six procedures, and group two had two procedures a week over four weeks, for eight total procedures.
Researches used the National Institute of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index scores to evaluate efficacy. The most noteworthy results in both groups were seen in the first month following treatment. Total NIH score went back up slightly for the one-year follow-up, but still well bellow baseline, which researchers concluded demonstrated shockwave therapy’s long-term efficacy.
In addition to prostatitis treatment, shockwave therapy can also be used for other men’s health issues like erectile dysfunction. Shockwave Canada is the exclusive distributor of industry leading Storz shockwave therapy machines. If you would like to incorporate the long-term benefits of shockwave therapy into your practice, call 1 (888) 741-SHOC(7462) or visit our website to learn more.
