Forget Viagra!

Experts say anything in excess of five points is a significant improvement. Viagra and similar medications, such as Cialis and Levitra, have transformed the treatment of impotence in the past ten years, around 30 per cent of men who take them see no improvement.

For these men, the only other options are to inject drugs straight into the penis, or use a pump that manually increases blood supply to the organ.

Dr Yoram Vardi, who led the trial, says: 'Drugs are not a cure. When patients stop taking their medication, then they cannot function.

'With shock-waves, we can do something biological for the problem. These patients can then function without the need for medication.'

Dr John Dean, president of the International Society of Sexual Medicine, said the findings were 'intriguing' and worth following up in larger studies.

But he warned that earlier attempts to use shock-wave therapy for another condition called Peyronie's disease - where the penis is bent and painful when erect - had failed.

'These findings are interesting and definitely warrant further investigation,' Dr Dean said.

'But we are a long way off saying that men should go to their GP asking for this treatment.'