Peyronie’s disease is a condition in which scar tissue can cause the penis to curve. This disease can be painful for men and cause them to struggle with getting an erection.
Not everyone with Peyronie’s disease needs treatment because symptoms can clear up on their own, according to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Most doctors may recommend injections of certain medications into the penis or surgery to remove some plaque in severe cases where the symptoms are persistent.
However, you can also help your condition along by trying out different stretching exercises. Gentle stretching of the sheath can correct the curvature by breaking down some of the scar tissue, according to Massachusetts General Hospital.
Research shows that trying exercises that use special devices can also be effective at straightening and stretching the penis back into its normal shape and length during erection.
The following exercises have been proven to help men dealing with Peyronie’s disease:
Penile traction therapy
When doing Penile traction therapy (PTT), you will wear a device on your penis that consists of two parallel stabilizing rods that run alongside the shaft of the penis for a certain amount of time daily. The rods are connected to a plastic support ring at the base of the penis and a distal ring below the head of the penis. They can also be extended to stretch the penis. This technique can provide a modest improvement in lengthening the penis and correcting the curve if you are in the acute phase. PTT is also great for men looking to have surgery, as it can aid in retaining penis length.
Vacuum erection devices
A vacuum erection device (VED) goes over the
penis like a sheath and stretches and pulls it with suction.
This vacuum is often called a “penis pump” and is associated with making the penis larger, but it also has positive effects on Peyronie’s disease. A 2010 study was conducted on 31 people with the disease. The study found that most of the participants experienced improvements in penile length, curvature, and pain after 12 weeks of using VED for 10 minutes twice a day. It should be noted that the curvature got worse after using VED for three participants
Penile modeling
This involves bending an erect penis in the opposite direction of the curvature caused by Peyronie’s disease. This is usually done alongside collagenase injections and can be done by a urologist or by yourself at home. Some men also opt to try penile modeling with the insertion of an inflatable prosthesis in the penis through surgery.
A 2020 study on 92 people with Peyronie’s disease found this method to be successful. Eighty-five percent of participants saw a reduction in curvature after three months while 95 percent of all participants saw a reduction after six months. Some men may experience pain, bruising, or swelling from penile modeling. There is also a risk for penile fracture.
Massaging the penis with a lubricant, like cocoa butter has been rumored to help. However, many doctors say this is unlikely to change your condition and can cause injury to the penis.
“[A] massage will not help Peyronie’s disease in any form,” Alex Shteynshlyuger, MD, director of urology at New York Urology Specialists says. “That’s why we use injections to treat it.” Shteynshlyuger shares that creams can’t be absorbed deep into the penis where the scar tissue from Peyronie’s disease is found.
Another technique with little research is milking. Milking, also known as jelqing, is a penis stretching exercise in which the penis is massaged to create micro-tears. The micro-tears are supposed to make the penis appear longer and thicker once the healing process begins.
Before trying any of these methods, you should speak with your doctor about the best options and ensure that these are safe for your condition.