Sonic blasts applied to the affected area could be the first permanent cure for impotence, claim scientists.

The sound-wave treatment is being hailed as an alternative to drugs such as Viagra and Cialis.

According to the scientists, the medication treats symptoms and the new sonic therapy tackles the cause.

Erectile dysfunction, which affects up to a quarter of men over 40, is most commonly caused by the hardening of the arteries, restricting blood flow.

Pioneers of the ED1000 treatment say the vibrations encourage new blood vessels to form.

Although the treatment sounds discomfiting – it involves directing pressurized sound waves directly on to the genitals – patients have been assured that it is pain-free.

Those undergoing the procedure, which involves 12 quarter-hour sessions over a nine-week period, are told to expect a tapping sensation as 100 blasts of sound waves are delivered each minute, followed by a tingling feeling afterwards.

Pioneers of the ED1000 treatment say the vibrations encourage new blood vessels to form and eventually to cure erectile dysfunction

Two years after the first trials, patients report that it has a long-lasting effect – although it is not understood why sound-waves have such an effect on the tissue that it begins producing new blood vessels.

Similar sonic waves are already used to destroy kidney stones, improve blood flow in heart muscle, and to ease the inflammation of joints.

Doctors in Israel used the same principles to pioneer the technique, but using lower-powered waves.

The treatment is now being offered in the UK for the first time at the private Spire Murrayfield hospital in Edinburgh.

The procedure cost is £1,500 ($2,400), plus consultation fees, for the sessions.

Consultant urological surgeon Roland Donat, who began treating patients last month, said the procedure was a “revolution” in the management of impotence.

Dr. Ronald Donat said: “I read the pilot study and thought, if this works I really want it for my patients.

“The ideal candidates are those who have a physical explanation for their impotence, such as hardened arteries or diabetes. It will not work if the problem is psychological or stress-related. But the results so far are really very encouraging.

“Men can be very severely affected by impotence and it can lead to relationship or self-esteem problems.

“The interesting thing is that the same device and technology is also being used to treat heart patients and those with leg ulcers.”

During initial trials in Israel, 20 men treated using sound-waves noted an improvement in their condition after around seven weeks.