Overview
Men have been willing to try very curious approaches to solve their erection problems for centuries. For example, men applied jackal bile to their penis in the 14th century. Today, one can't check their email without finding advertisements for cure all approaches to ED. Keep in mind that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. The FDA keeps a running list of unsafe "alternative" ED medications that is updated monthly. There are 3 treatment approaches that are "not yet ready for prime-time" that you may have heard of but Mayo Clinic does not utilize or endorse. These approaches typically cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. These include:
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Penile Shock Wave Therapy: A small probe is held on the penis over the course of several treatments where shock waves are administered. It is supposed to help regrow new blood vessels and improve unhealthy tissue in the area. This treatment remains very controversial and without convincing evidence.
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Platelet Rich Plasma Treatment: Blood is removed, purified and reinserted to help "heal" parts of the body. There is no evidence this is beneficial in the penis.
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Stem Cell Therapy / Injection into the Penis: Stem cell are typically harvested from fat and re-injected to areas of the body. The stem cell is supposed to turn into the type of cell that part of the body needs. Despite extensive testing and study, no reliable protocol currently exists for the penis.
The Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) states these treatments are experimental and should only be used in research protocols where patients should not be charged money beyond basic research costs.