Treatment of erectile dysfunction by perineal exercise, electromyographic biofeedback, and electrical stimulation.
OBJECTIVE
Only a few investigators have described the involvement of the perineal muscles in the process of human erection. The aim of this research was to evaluate a re-education program for men with erection problems of different etiologies.


METHODS
Fifty-one patients with erectile dysfunction were treated with pelvic-floor exercises, biofeedback, and electrical stimulation.


RESULTS
The results of the interventions can be summarized as follows: 24 patients (47%) regained a normal erection, 12 patients (24%) improved, and 6 patients (12%) did not make any progress. Nine patients (18%) did not complete the therapy. On the basis of several variables, a prediction equation was generated to determine the factors that would predict the effect of the interventions. The outcome was most favorable in men with venous-occlusive dysfunction.


CONCLUSIONS
Comparison of the results of the physical therapy protocol reported here with those obtained for other interventions reported in the literature shows that a pelvic-floor muscle program may be a noninvasive alternative for the treatment of patients with erectile dysfunction caused by venous occlusion.
Van Kampen
Marijke
M
Department of Physiotherapy, University Hospital, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. marijke.vankampen@uz.kuleuven.ac.be
De Weerdt
Willy
W
Claes
Hubert
H
Feys
Hilde
H
De Maeyer
Mira
M
Van Poppel
Hendrik
H
D000328:Adult; D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D004576:Electromyography; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010502:Perineum / Q000502:physiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome