I like that last line too!
Futura medical states that their product is working on nerves in the head of the penis..
Let’s take a look at what this preparation may actually be stimulating. The head or glans of the penis is full of sensory somatic neurons. They are called afferent neurons that send signals back towards the body. All of these sensory signals travel via the dorsal nerve, which then becomes the all-important pudendal nerve. This nerve and the signals that it sends back and forth are responsible for reflexogenic erections. It is also responsible for the feelings of sexual pleasure we feel in the head of the penis and the scrotum.
What is a reflexogenic erection or as it is also called a reflex erection? It is an erection that is stimulated by touch to these nerves which are in great abundance in the glans. They are also in greater amounts in the foreskin and under the lip of the glans, especially in the area underneath where the foreskin joins the glans (this area is negatively affected when men are circumcised, depending on the skill of the doctor doing it, one of the reasons I would never have a child of mine circumcised unless it was necessary). We all know how sexually sensitive this area is!
These nerves send an afferent signal that travels back to the spinal cord erection centre in the sacral area, S2-S4. A signal is then sent back to the penis directly (without any signal from the brain) which then travels through another route directly into the corpus cavernosum stimulating the erectile process (promoting the release of NO) which has the end result of relaxing smooth muscle. Therefore these erections happen only from sensory input from these neurons in the glans or elsewhere in the genital region. They are not generated by signals sent from the brain, it is a reflex action. Psychogenic erections are another part of the erectile process. These are generated by our mental thoughts, visual and olfactory(smell) stimuli. Signals are sent from our central nervous system via the parasympathetic route directly into the centre of the erectile tissues. These strong signals also effect the relaxation of smooth muscle. It is a COMBINATION of the TWO neural signals the generate strong lasting erections. If one of these two neural systems is not working efficiently erections can either not last or not be firm enough for penetration.
Reflex erections are more responsible for the generation of a strong and firm erection (owing to sensation, reflex signal and stimulus of two specific pelvic floor muscles), whereas psychogenic erections seem to maintain the duration of an erection (that is when mechanical stimulation of the afferent neurons in the glans stops or pauses). However, I am sure there would be some crossover. So one can see from this that both are necessary for good erectile performance.
This topical gel, may be stimulating these sensory neurons in much the same way as touch, which then causes the reflex loop to generate a reflex erection. While this may be occurring it may also encourage a placebo effect in the brain, as the male perceives that the product is generating an erection and therefore his brain sends psychogenic parasympathetic signals back to the penis via the other neural system as described above. The two part neural process kicks into action! It may be that initially this gel has a slightly more effective method of stimulating these nerves in the glans of the penis than compared to normal touch due to this evaporative process? This a big question mark!
I would ask how long could this be effective? How long could this gel stay active on the skin, does it penetrate and stay active for a reasonable period of time? Do the nerves become desensitised to this over time?
Could it be that this gel boosts the performance of this neural pathway which then helps some forms of ED?
I do think that after understanding how the neural aspect of erectile function works to some degree, that this gel could only be exerting an influence on the above mentioned neural pathway and if so its reliability would be questionable owing to the fact that the neural side of erectile function depends on both systems.
However, I also think that dysfunctions with the neurophysiology of erectile function could be underestimated. I say this because the nerve that is negatively affected with regard to pelvic floor dysfunctions is the Pudendal nerve and this can have major negative implications with regard to sexual function in the male.
Let’s wait and see!
Age 57, ED issues for 15-20 years. Testosterone replacement with Enanthate and Ovidrel. Currently using generic Tadalafil 2.5mgs and Resveratrol daily.