To kick off this discussion, it’s important to note that if you’re suffering from problems with erectile dysfunction (ED), you’re not alone: More than half of US men — of all ages — experience issues with getting and maintaining an erection.
Traditionally, solutions have come in the form of little blue pills, injections, and implants, which are all effective, but they don’t exactly set the right mood. Through regenerative medicine, namely the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and/or stem cells, we may be able to help address the root cause of your ED for long-term results.
At No Mercy Sports Medicine, Dr. Moisés Irizarry-Román has long understood the value of using regenerative medicine, stem cell and PRP therapy to help our patients heal more quickly when they have a musculoskeletal injury. Because of its success in helping to regenerate tissues on a cellular level, we’re now applying this same approach to men’s health, more specifically, ED.
Here’s a look at how PRP therapy can give your sex life a boost.
As we mentioned, ED is very common and can affect men of all ages, but erectile dysfunction is more prevalent among older men. For example, the incidence of ED among 40-year-olds is about 40%, but this number jumps to around 70% among 70-year-olds.
The reason behind this increase is that one of the primary causes of ED is poor vascular health. To get an erection, blood flows into two chambers in your penis, your corpora cavernosa, and engorges these areas. To maintain an erection, the membrane around your corpora cavernosa traps the blood, keeping it in the chambers.
As you grow older, plaque can build up in your blood vessels, which compromises your blood flow, and your membrane can weaken. Both of these issues can lead to ED.
Of course, there are many other issues that can contribute to erectile dysfunction, but poor circulation is the most common. And it’s one we can address through PRP therapy.
The platelets in your blood are primarily responsible for clotting, but they also play a critical role in the ensuing healing. Once your platelets stem the flow of blood, they release hundreds of proteins, or growth factors, that create the ideal healing environment, calling upon your body’s powerful resources to aid in the healing and repair of the damaged tissue.
As part of the repair process, platelets help encourage healthy vascularization and innervation, two areas that play no small role in ED and sexual health. What this means is that through the use of PRP, we can improve the health of the blood vessels, tissues, and nerves in your penis for better sexual health.
One of the many benefits of PRP therapy is that we tap your own natural resources. To get started, we draw a sample of your blood and separate out your platelets in a special centrifuge. We then mix this concentrate back in with your plasma and inject the resulting high-density platelet solution into your penis.
After the injections, the platelets jump into action and begin the regenerative processes that can help you achieve better sexual health.
If you’re struggling with your sex life because of ED, contact one of our two locations in Miami or Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to learn more about PRP therapy.
