The story of medical progress has always been one that is linked closely with the progress of science. As research helps to promote new understandings of disorders, effective treatments often follow. This process, however, can be slow to emerge when doctors do not keep themselves appraised of the most recent scientific literature. In order to see the benefits of such a practice, we turned our eyes to the practice of Dr. Dov Rand. Long-known for his commitment to emerging methodologies, the doctor is often singled out for his commitment to utilizing scientific research. Below we’ll highlight some of the ways he uses innovative treatments to help patients suffering from two common disorders — erectile dysfunction and hormonal imbalance.
Causes of erectile dysfunction
At his practice, The Healthy Aging Medical Centers, Dr. Dov Rand is often treating men who find they have an inability to achieve or maintain an erection. This affliction is common amongst men as they age and has typically been treated through medication, vacuum devices, or even surgery. This range of treatments is in part due to the varied number of factors that can contribute to a typical case of erectile dysfunction. Understanding these factors can be a key component of understanding how the disorder manifests.
While erectile dysfunction is a complicated disorder that can often have many causes, it is very common for it to be a result of a dysfunction in either the neurological, muscular, or vascular system. If there is a neurological component, the condition may be alleviated through psychological therapy or other methods that are focused on mental health. A muscular factor may be alleviated through the use of physical therapy focused on stretching and strengthening of the affected muscles. A vascular component can be one of the more difficult root issues to address since it is of such a distributed nature, with many fine blood vessels contributing to the issue.
Supplementation
The use of nutritional supplements has been shown to be effective in treating erectile dysfunction in cases of vascular disorder and it is one of the primary methods utilized by Dr. Dov Rand at his practice. Supplements such as ginseng have been shown to increase blood flow to the penis and in turn increase the hardness and duration of an erection. While able to address the issue in a number of cases, the use of supplements offers an alternative to patients wary of the overuse of prescription medicine or who cannot tolerate the side effects of typical erectile dysfunction drugs.
Nutritional supplements can also sometimes be used to treat hormonal disorders where a patient is seeking to alleviate some of the symptoms of a hormonal imbalance. An example of this might be a patient who is struggling to maintain a healthy body weight due to a drop in levels of a specific hormone. With the proper supplementation regimen, a patient may find it easier to maintain a healthy weight and even to improve other indicators of health such as lean muscle mass.
Use of shockwave therapy
Another key method of addressing issues of blood flow in patients with erectile dysfunction is the use of GAINSWave technology. This therapy is a relatively new treatment protocol that is pulled from the latest scientific research. It involves the periodic application of a device that administers shockwaves directly to a patient’s penis. These shockwaves use a percussive striking of the skin to create a wave that travels through a man’s penis and helps to stimulate the internal tissue through which it passes. The process is painless as any patient who experiences discomfort can opt for the use of a topical anesthetic for the short duration of the application.
While a patient will typically undergo multiple treatments over the span of a few months, many will begin to respond after the first treatment. Through a process known as angiogenesis, the application of shockwaves will help to create and repair blood vessels through the tissue of a man’s penis. This will allow for increased blood flow to the penis and increase both the ease of achieving and maintaining an erection. Patients also often report that the hardness of their erections increase, as this is a physical indication of the amount of blood trapped in the penis during an erection.
Bioidentical hormones
Another range of disorders treated by Dr. Dov Rand and his staff are those that are affected by the levels of hormones in a person’s body. Imbalances in hormones can contribute to a number of conditions such as loss of libido, the development of unhealthy bodyweight, and even the progression of cancer. These conditions can be life-threatening and proper treatment will often become necessary in order to give a patient the best chance at leading a healthy life.
Many in the medical profession seek to treat the above disorders with synthetic hormones. These types of hormone treatments try to replicate the natural hormones found in a human body through artificial means. While they can be effective to an extent, synthetic hormones still have numerous drawbacks associated with them. In their place, practices such as The Healthy Aging Medical Centers are turning to bioidentical hormone therapy. These hormones are able to much more closely replicate those found naturally in the human body. The use of these therapies has been shown to be effective for a number of conditions including erectile dysfunction, which can also have hormonal causes in some cases.
Though this is just a small slice of the range of conditions that can be treated more effectively through modern science, the above overview of the practice of Dr. Dov Rand gives a look into the ways in which doctors are adjusting their practices with the discovery of new methods. By keeping up to date with scientific journals and conferences, dedicated doctors are able to offer their patients many treatment protocols that were unavailable even a few years ago. These treatments can often be more effective and less dangerous than previous methods. As more and more doctors offer these types of treatments, modern medicine will be increasingly affected by the results of contemporary scientific research.
