Shockwave Therapy for ED in Leawood

Medically reviewed by Mark Strehlow, MD, Medical Director — September 2026

Low-intensity shockwave therapy, also called acoustic wave therapy, is a series of short in-office treatments that deliver gentle pulses to the penis. It’s offered to men with erectile dysfunction (ED), and it has been studied most in mild ED caused by reduced blood flow. We use a Storz Medical D-ACTOR device, and treatment is done by Hannah Osborn, APRN, or Angela Barnett, MD. Consultations are private and free.

Start with the cause

ED is often a sign of something else. The American Urological Association advises that men with ED be told it can signal heart and blood-vessel disease, and that their morning testosterone be measured. Diabetes, medications, stress and depression are other common causes.

So your consultation starts with your history and medications and, where indicated, labs: testosterone and related hormones, blood sugar and cholesterol. If the cause is hormonal, treating that comes first. If it points to your blood vessels, we’ll tell you what that means for your heart as well as your erections.

How it works

Our device uses compressed air to drive small, rapid pressure pulses through a gel into the shaft and base of the penis. These are radial pressure waves, often called radial shockwaves. They spread out from the applicator and are gentler than the focused or linear shockwaves used in most research on ED. The aim is to improve blood flow in the penis. Researchers are still working out exactly how it acts.

What the evidence shows

Randomized trials that compared shockwave therapy with a sham treatment, and reviews that pooled those trials, have found improved erection scores in some men. The results are most consistent in mild ED caused by reduced blood flow. They vary between studies and between men, and a 2025 Cochrane review rated the certainty of the evidence as low.

  • European guideline. The European Association of Urology’s guidelines (2025 update) support offering shockwave therapy to men with mild ED caused by reduced blood flow. That includes men who can’t take ED tablets or would rather not, and men who get too little from them. They rate this as a weak recommendation.
  • U.S. guideline. The American Urological Association’s guideline (2018, still current) classifies it as investigational.
  • Radial devices like ours. Most of the trials behind those guidelines used focused or linear shockwave devices. Research on radial devices for ED is more limited and mixed:
  • Some observational studies report improvements.
  • A 2025 review found focused devices did better.
  • A 2022 sham-controlled trial of radial waves in men with mild to moderate ED found no difference from sham.
  • FDA. No shockwave or pressure-wave device is cleared by the FDA for ED. Our D-ACTOR device is FDA cleared as a massage device, for uses such as relief of minor muscle aches and pains, so using it for ED is off-label.

We offer it after an evaluation, and we won’t promise you a result. Individual results vary.

Who it may suit, and who it doesn’t

Shockwave therapy may be worth discussing if you have mild ED linked to blood flow, can’t take or would rather not take ED tablets, or get too little from them. It’s less likely to be the right choice if your ED is severe, follows prostate surgery, or is linked to diabetes. It’s also less likely to fit if the main cause is a medication, low testosterone or stress, because those have their own treatments.

It isn’t for men with cancer in the treatment area. Tell us if you have an infection or broken skin in the area, a bleeding disorder, a penile implant, or take blood thinners, so your provider can decide whether it’s appropriate.

We don’t offer it to enlarge the penis or to boost normal erections. There’s no good evidence that it does either.

What happens with shockwave therapy

  1. Free consultation. We go through your history and medications, ask you to fill in a short questionnaire about erections (the SHIM), and order labs where indicated. The questionnaire helps us gauge where you’re starting from and track how things change. You’ll get the price in writing.
  2. Treatment. You lie on an exam table. We apply a numbing cream first. Your provider then applies gel and moves the applicator along the penis. Sessions are short.
  3. Afterward. You can go straight back to your day.
  4. The series. Most men start with 6 sessions, twice a week. If your ED is more pronounced, your provider may suggest 12. They’ll also tell you honestly if shockwave therapy is unlikely to be the right choice.
  5. Maintenance. Some men later choose a short maintenance series of 3 sessions, once or twice a year. There’s little published research on maintenance, so we’ll decide it with you.

Every series includes hormone testing, a vacuum erection device (a penis pump, one of the standard ED options in the American Urological Association’s guideline), and a pelvic-floor (Kegel) exercise plan. Your provider will show you how to use them.

Risks

Most men feel tapping or mild discomfort during treatment. Temporary redness, tenderness or small bruises can follow. In trials, side effects from treatment were uncommon, but the trials were short, so long-term effects aren’t known.

What shockwave therapy costs

Price
Consultation, including the SHIM questionnaire Free
6-session series (twice a week) $1,800 ($300 per session)
12-session series (twice a week) $3,000 ($250 per session)
Maintenance session (after a series) $175 per session, a rate we lock in for you long-term

Every series includes: hormone testing, a vacuum erection device (penis pump) and a pelvic-floor (Kegel) exercise plan.

Shockwave therapy is cash-pay and isn’t covered by insurance. You’ll get your total in writing at the consultation, before anything is done.

Other options

  • ED medication. We prescribe tablets such as sildenafil and tadalafil when they suit you. They’re approved by the FDA for ED, well studied and usually inexpensive, and shockwave therapy can be used alongside them.
  • Testosterone therapy is for men whose labs confirm low testosterone. See hormone care for men.
  • A urologist can discuss other treatments, and we’ll refer you when that’s the better route.

Looking for GAINSWave®?

GAINSWave is a brand name for a shockwave treatment protocol. Rock Creek Wellness is no longer a GAINSWave provider. We offer low-intensity shockwave therapy with a Storz Medical device, as described on this page.

Looking for the P-Shot?

We no longer use PRP. Our men’s sexual wellness injection page explains what we offer instead. It isn’t a treatment for erectile dysfunction. It uses umbilical cord–derived tissue matrix products from FDA-registered tissue banks. Registration is not approval, and no product of this kind is FDA approved.

Common questions

Does shockwave therapy work for ED? Trials have found improved erection scores in some men, most consistently in mild ED caused by reduced blood flow. Results vary, and the evidence for radial devices like ours is more limited. The U.S. urology guideline still calls it investigational, and no device is FDA cleared for ED. We can’t promise a result, and individual results vary.

How many sessions will I need? Most men start with 6, twice a week. Some do 12. Some later add a maintenance series of 3, once or twice a year.

Is this the same as GAINSWave? GAINSWave is one brand’s shockwave protocol. We’re no longer a GAINSWave provider. We offer low-intensity shockwave therapy with a Storz Medical device.

Does it hurt? We use numbing cream first. Most men feel tapping or mild discomfort. Tell your provider, and they’ll adjust.

Can I keep taking ED tablets? Yes. The European guideline supports shockwave therapy with or without them, and your provider will advise you.

Will it make my penis bigger? There’s no good evidence that it does, and we don’t offer it for that.

Is it covered by insurance? No. It’s cash-pay.

Book a free consultation

Book a free consultation, or call (913) 727-7700. See all of our sexual wellness care.

Sources

  1. Burnett AL, et al. Erectile Dysfunction: AUA Guideline. Journal of Urology. 2018;200(3):633–641. https://www.auanet.org/guidelines-and-quality/guidelines/erectile-dysfunction-(ed)-guideline
  2. Salonia A, et al. European Association of Urology Guidelines on Male Sexual and Reproductive Health: 2025 Update. European Urology. 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40340108/ · Guideline text: https://uroweb.org/guidelines/sexual-and-reproductive-health/chapter/management-of-erectile-dysfunction
  3. Ergun O, et al. Low-intensity shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2025;7:CD013166. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013166.pub3
  4. Sandoval-Salinas C, et al. Are Radial Pressure Waves Effective for the Treatment of Moderate or Mild to Moderate Erectile Dysfunction? A Randomized Sham Therapy Controlled Clinical Trial. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2022;19(5):738–744.
  5. Ramadhani T, et al. Comparative effectiveness radial shockwave therapy versus focused linear shockwave therapy as an erectile dysfunction treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis. Urology Annals. 2025;17(2):84–91.
  6. Hayon S, Panken EJ, Bennett NE. Variations in Low Intensity Shockwave Treatment Protocols for Erectile Dysfunction. World Journal of Men’s Health. 2024;42(2):283–289.
  7. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 510(k) K173692, D-ACTOR 200 Vibration Massage System (Storz Medical AG), cleared April 13, 2018. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf17/K173692.pdf
  8. MedlinePlus. Erectile Dysfunction. https://medlineplus.gov/erectiledysfunction.html

GAINSWave® is a registered trademark of its owner; Rock Creek Wellness is not affiliated with it. P-Shot® is a registered trademark of its owner; Rock Creek Wellness is not affiliated with it and does not perform that procedure. This page is educational and is not medical advice. Individual results vary.