In a interview in the Diary of a CEO podcast in November, 46-year-old tech mogul Bryan Johnson shared an update on his genitals. The anti-aging fanatic, who has spent over $4 million since 2021 to try to reverse the situation “biological age” of his body and extending his lifespan, said he spent two months doing experimental shockwave therapy on his penis, and as a result his penis felt “15 years younger.”
“You have a wand and you sit in a chair and then the technician uses the wand and basically shocks your penis,” Johnson explained. He went on to say that the treatment does the same thing as exercise does to the rest of the body, where you cause micro-injuries so that the tissue repairs itself more strongly than before. He rated the pain of the shocks as seven out of ten, and nine out of ten at the point.
Congratulations and best wishes to Johnson, who seems very happy with his newly 31-year-old genitals. But what does all this mean for regular people with penises who don't want a stranger to painfully shock their glans with a magic wand?
We asked some experts what shockwave therapy is, how to tell if your penis is healthy, and what you can do to keep it healthy.
What makes a healthy penis?
“The barometer of men's health is erectile function: how strong the erection is and the ability to maintain the erection,” says Dr. Amin Herati, director of male infertility and men's health at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
The frequency of spontaneous erections at night and in the morning is another indicator of health. Herati warned that the lack of these spontaneous nighttime erections, as well as reduced quality of strength or ability to maintain erections, could be signs that a person's hormones are out of balance. These changes are worth taking seriously because they could indicate other serious conditions, such as cardiovascular disease.
“I always call the penis the 'dowsing rod of vascular health,'” says Dr. Petar Bajic, director of the Center for Men's Health at the Cleveland Clinic's Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute.
The penis is a highly blood flow-dependent organ, Bajic explained. Erectile stiffness depends on the cavernosal arteries, two blood vessels less than a millimeter in diameter. Any hardening of these arteries caused by plaque buildup – a common symptom of cardiovascular disease – reduces the amount of blood flow to the area and can result in erectile dysfunction (ED). “There is solid evidence that a heart attack can precede a heart attack by five years,” says Bajic.
Erectile dysfunction can also result from problems such as anxiety, depression, testosterone deficiency, nerve damage, or substance abuse. “For someone to have an erection, many parts have to work,” Herati explained.
And while the quality of your erections may be the easiest way to gauge your health, Bajic added that other factors, like healthy urination and STD prevention, are also important components of penile health.
How can penile health be improved?
Although they sound less exciting than a shock wand, everyday lifestyle changes are often the first step to a healthier penis, especially for people who suffer from mild to moderate erectile dysfunction.
“Exercise, diet and sleep are the easiest ways to address the psychological factors,” says Herati.
Cardiovascular exercise is especially helpful, says Bajic, who recommends at least five minutes of exercise three to four times a week that will leave you breathless. If you continue to struggle with ED, Bajic recommends that you contact a urologist.
Bajic also notes that some patients are prescribed medications that can contribute to erectile dysfunction and therefore stop taking them. He strongly urges you not to do this and recommends talking to your prescriber about alternative options instead. “Something I often see in my practice is that a man has been prescribed blood pressure pills and he stops taking them. And then he comes into the office and his blood pressure is way out of control, and at that point his erectile function has deteriorated so much that you can't get it back.
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One of the worst things you can do for your penis health? Smoke. “Nicotine use is a leading cause of erectile dysfunction due to its negative impact on blood flow,” says Bajic.
Is penis shockwave therapy effective and safe?
Shockwave therapy on the penis has been around for years, mainly as a treatment for kidney stones. But in the US, it is not an FDA-approved treatment for erectile dysfunction. As Johnson explained in his interview, a small rod-like device sends focused sound waves along the tissue of the penis.
“We are still quite early in investigating shockwave therapy,” says Bajic. One of the problems with research into the treatment at the moment, he says, is that there is no consistency in how the treatment is administered. “Some might do six weekly sessions, some might do four, all using different equipment and different amounts of energy.”
While some studies show promising results — especially for people with mild erectile dysfunction and no other significant medical problems — it's difficult to draw strong conclusions about its effectiveness.
“I cannot emphasize enough that this is not a treatment that is for everyone,” says Bajic. “If you're not suited for it, it can be a waste of time. And if you're not part of a clinical trial where you get the treatment for free, it can be a waste of money.”
Is reverse aging the secret to a healthy penis?
Not necessarily, but it's worth taking penis health seriously. Herati says he believes what Johnson is trying to convey with his statement is not a clear reduction in age, but an overall improvement in health. “He's talking about better vascular system and better tissue health,” he says, adding, “I'm not sure shockwave therapy alone can do that.”
Overall, Bajic says, people with penises “need to look at that organ through a broader lens that takes into account their entire body and their cardiovascular health.”