In this video, Stephanie Wolff, P.A.-C, board-certified PA-C and CEO of Novus Anti-Aging Center, explains what a SHIM score is and goes over the various protocols used to help treat erectile dysfunction.
What’s a SHIM Score?
A SHIM (Sexual Health Inventory for Men) score is a standardized measurement of erectile function. Using this measurement, health professionals can track progress during erectile dysfunction treatment.
Patients receive a score from 1 to 25:
- 22 to 25 – No ED issues
- 17 to 21 – Mild ED
- 8 to 16 – Moderate ED
- 1 to 7 – Severe ED
To learn your SHIM score, visit GetMyProtocol.com and take the free health-assessment quiz. This will provide you with your customized ED treatment plan, also called a protocol.
What Happens During Protocols?
During erectile dysfunction treatment protocols, ED is treated with the help of either in-office NOVOwave™ shockwave therapy or at-home shockwave therapy using The Phoenix. The number of treatments required varies depending on a patient’s SHIM score.
A penis pump must also be used during ED treatment protocols. After shockwave therapy has created new blood vessels in the penis, these vessels must be used in order for the body to keep them around. With a penis pump, oxygenated blood is sent to these small fragile blood vessels, strengthening and expanding them. This feeds the new tissues of the penis.
The penis pump is vital to the maintenance of your results. Think of it like going to the gym and getting your reps in, or like taking amino acid supplements or vitamins after workouts. Without this, all the hard work will be going to waste. Using a penis pump also leads to faster treatment of ED.
The Performance Protocol
The Performance Protocol is for patients with a SHIM score of 22 to 25 who are looking to boost their sexual performance.
During this protocol, 1-2 shockwave therapy treatments per week are performed. This is done for 3-4 weeks. After this, patients must pause treatment for 1 month in order to allow for healing. This protocol can then be repeated until desired results have been achieved.
The penis pump must be used twice daily for 10 minutes during the 3-4 weeks of shockwave therapy treatments. Use must then be continued for an additional 6 weeks.
The Mild ED Protocol
For patients with mild erectile dysfunction, 2 shockwave therapy treatments per week are performed. This is done for 4 weeks. Patients must then pause treatment for a month to heal. After this, the protocol can be repeated as needed for optimal results.
During the 4 weeks of treatments, the penis pump must be used twice daily for 10 minutes. Use must be continued for another 6 weeks.
The Moderate ED Protocol
For patients with moderate erectile dysfunction, 2 shockwave therapy treatments per week are performed. This is done for 4-5 weeks. After this, patients must not get a treatment for a month to allow for healing. Following this, treatments can be repeated if needed to achieve optimal results.
During the 5 weeks of treatments, the penis pump must be used twice daily for 10 minutes. Use must be continued for another 6 weeks.
The Severe ED Protocol
When it comes to severe erectile dysfunction, patients may not be able to tolerate more than 1 shockwave therapy treatment per week. In some cases, 1 treatment per week is performed for a couple weeks, and if this is tolerated well, an additional two to three treatments per week may be added.
Treatments may be done for 6-8 weeks. After this, no treatments should be performed for 1 month.
As with the other protocols, during the 6-8 weeks of treatments, the penis pump must be used twice daily for 10 minutes. Use must be continued for another 6 weeks.
The Peyronie’s Disease Protocol
Peyronie’s disease is very different from erectile dysfunction, since penile scar tissue is present. When shockwave treatments are used, they are performed to address this scar tissue.
The Peyronie’s treatment protocol begins with 1 treatment per week, and if the treatment is well tolerated, this can be increased to 2 treatments per week.
Treatments can be done for 8-10 weeks. After this time, patients must pause for a month to heal. Following this break, treatments can be repeated until results are achieved.
Every Peyronie’s patient responds to treatment differently. While some see results in 3-4 weeks, others experience results at 8-10 weeks or sometimes even longer.
Every Peyronie’s patient also responds differently to use of a penis pump. Some patients feel improvement in the scar tissue because of it, while others experience more pain or feel that new scar tissue is being created. Because of this, using a penis pump is the individual choice of each Peyronie’s patient.
Clinical Studies
Clinical studies supporting these treatment protocols are listed below:
- Erectile Dysfunction Treatment Using Focused Linear Low-Intensity Extracorporeal Shockwaves: Single-Blind, Sham-Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial
- Shockwave therapy as first-line treatment for Peyronie’s disease: a prospective study
- Recent advances in the understanding and management of erectile dysfunction
- Safety and feasibility of platelet rich fibrin matrix injections for treatment of common urologic conditions
- Testosterone Therapy Improves Erectile Function and Libido in Hypogonadal Men
- Stem Cell Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction
- MSC-derived exosomes ameliorate erectile dysfunction by alleviation of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle apoptosis in a rat model of cavernous nerve injury
Contact Us to Find Out More
To learn more about what a SHIM score is and how it can be used to help treat erectile dysfunction, contact Novus Anti-Aging Center in Los Angeles. During your consultation, we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have. And to get your SHIM score, be sure to visit GetMyProtocol.com.