Peyronie’s disease (PD), which is caused by the formation of scar tissue or plaques under the skin of the penis, can result in curved, sometimes painful erections, penile shortening, and/or other deformities in penis shape.

Penile traction therapy is a treatment option for PD. It involves wearing a penile traction device on the penis for a certain amount of time each day. This device puts tension on the flaccid penis, stretching it straight out from the body or bending it in the opposite direction of the curve. The aim of penile traction therapy is to reduce the curvature of the penis and regain penile length. 

What are the benefits of penile traction therapy?

Penile traction therapy is a safe, noninvasive treatment option for PD. It does not require surgery or injections, which may be appealing to some individuals with PD. What’s more, the clinical studies that have been done on penile traction therapy so far have shown promising results. Across the board, these studies have shown decreases in penile curvature and slight increases in penile length.

Are there any risks associated with penile traction therapy?

Fortunately, penile traction therapy appears to be quite safe and well tolerated by patients. Some patients have reported mild side effects such as discomfort, minor swelling or pain, temporary penile numbness, and slight skin discoloration. However, many people do not report any negative side effects from penile traction therapy.

How long should a person wear the penile traction device each day?

The set amount of time to wear a penile traction device each day varies greatly, depending on the type of device and your health care provider’s instructions. While some recommend wearing the device for a few hours each day, others advise using the device for just 30 minutes a day.

Penile traction therapy requires successive and regular treatments to show results. Therefore, it is important to find a time of day or night that you can commit to using the device.

Should I consider penile traction therapy?

If you have a curve in your penis and believe you may have PD, make an appointment with a urologist or sexual medicine specialist who can properly diagnose you. Trying to diagnose or treat yourself with online products can be harmful. During your appointment, you can discuss treatment options for PD including penile traction therapy and decide which one would be best for you.

References:

• Chung, E., & Brock, G. (2013). Penile traction therapy and Peyronie's disease: a state of art review of the current literature. Therapeutic advances in urology, 5(1), 59–65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1756287212454932
  
  
• García-Gomez, B., Aversa, A., Alonso-Isa, M., Parnham, A., Serefoglu, E.C., Corona, G., Bettocchi, C., Reisman, Y., & Romero-Otero, J. (2021). The Use of Penile Traction Devices for Peyronie’s Disease: Position Statements from the European Society for Sexual Medicine. Sexual Medicine Open Access, 9(4), 100387. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esxm.2021.100387
  
  
• Usta, M. F., & Ipekci, T. (2016). Penile traction therapy for Peyronie's disease-what's the evidence?. Translational andrology and urology, 5(3), 303–309. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21037/tau.2016.03.25