Conservative treatment of erectile dysfunction. 2: Clinical trials

This is the second of a three-part paper addressing whether physiotherapy involving pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFMEs) is efficacious as a first-line treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED). The first part (Vol 9(11): 691-4) highlighted the prevalence of ED, associated risk factors, the anatomy of the penis and the physiology of erection. This part concentrates on the computer-aided and manual search for published clinical trials investigating the treatment and prevention of ED. The methodological quality of the trials was assessed using criteria based on generally accepted principles of interventional research. The literature search revealed 14 trials which met the broad inclusion criteria. Of these, eight trials used PFMEs with or without biofeedback or electrical stimulation.