Key takeaways

  • Treatment approaches for Peyronie’s disease vary by disease stage. Doctors may recommend medications or shockwave therapy during the acute phase and will typically reserve surgical procedures for the stable phase.
  • You may not need treatment if your symptoms are not causing pain or other difficulties. In some cases, Peyronie’s disease goes away without treatment.
  • Because depression is common in people with Peyronie’s disease, you might also consider seeking support from a mental health professional.

Peyronie’s disease, also called penile curvature, occurs when plaque builds up inside the penis and causes it to curve or bend. Many people with penile curvature experience pain and difficulty getting an erection.

The condition often goes undiagnosed.

Around 1 in 100 adult men in the United States have a diagnosis of Peyronie’s disease. However, some research suggests that it may be more common, affecting up to 9% of men. One reason for this disparity could be that people feel embarrassed by the symptoms and hesitate to seek treatment.

Several surgical and nonsurgical treatments are available for Peyronie’s disease. Some natural remedies might also provide some relief, but their effectiveness has not yet been measured in scientific studies.

Treatment isn’t always necessary for Peyronie’s disease. According to the Urology Care Foundation, in about 13% of cases, the condition goes away without treatment.

Your doctor may recommend going without treatment if you have:

  • small plaques
  • no pain
  • little curvature of your penis
  • no problems having sex or urinating

If you do need treatment for Peyronie’s disease, you’ll have a few options to choose from, depending on the stage of the disease at diagnosis and the severity of your symptoms.

Acute phase

The acute phase usually lasts about 6 months, but it can last up to 18 months. During this phase:

  • plaques form
  • the penis has active inflammation
  • the penis starts to curve

Doctors usually recommend nonsurgical treatment during this early phase, or in the first year after the penis starts to curve.

Your doctor might recommend that you take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen, to relieve pain during the acute phase.

Shockwave therapy may be another treatment option for Peyronie’s disease in the acute phase. During this treatment, a healthcare professional moves a wand-like device that emits sound waves around your penis. It won’t reverse the curvature, but it may help relieve pain and discomfort.

Some people also try using traction or vacuum devices to reduce the curve in their penis. However, the effectiveness of these devices is still being studied.

While injections of medications into the penis are typically used only once Peyronie’s disease has reached a stable phase, researchers are looking at the potential for this treatment to help in the acute phase.

A 2020 study involving 918 people with Peyronie’s disease found that injections of collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) were as safe and effective in the acute phase as they were in the stable phase.

The authors of a 2022 research review also suggested that CCH injections could be used in the acute phase to slow down progression of the disease.

Still, more research is needed to determine whether CCH injections will become a first-line treatment for acute-phase Peyronie’s disease.

Stable phase

Healthcare professionals consider Peyronie’s disease stable (or chronic) once your symptoms have not changed for 3 months.

Injections are a common treatment for Peyronie’s disease in the stable phase.

You’ll receive this treatment in your doctor’s office. Your doctor will numb the area of your penis at the location of the plaque and then inject a medication.

The medication options for injections include:

  • CCH: This drug works to break up plaques, reduce curvature, and improve erectile function.
  • Verapamil: This drug helps reduce pain and curvature.
  • Interferon-alpha 2b: This drug aims to reduce pain, curvature, and the size of plaques.

Once you’ve had symptoms for at least 1 year and your symptoms and curvature have been stable for 3 to 6 months, your doctor may recommend treating Peyronie’s disease with one of several types of surgery. The specific type will depend on your curvature and how the disease affects your erection.

Penile plication is one common surgical procedure for mild curvature. It involves pinching or removing a piece of tissue on the opposite side of your penis from the curvature and then using permanent stitches to help straighten your penis.

If you have moderate to severe erectile dysfunction, surgery for Peyronie’s disease may involve inserting a device into your penis, such as an inflatable pump or silicone rods. These devices can help straighten your penis and improve your ability to get an erection.

To treat severe curvature, plaque calcification, or severe narrowing of the penile shaft, a surgeon might lengthen the curved side of your penis by removing some plaque and replacing it with a piece of tissue called a graft. But this procedure is typically used only in severe cases of Peyronie’s disease.

A range of other treatments may be used for Peyronie’s disease, including:

  • stretching your penis for several hours per day (penile traction)
  • applying heat (hyperthermia)
  • applying magnesium to your penis
  • applying topical verapamil to your penis

But these treatments are not yet proven effective for Peyronie’s disease and require further study, according to the Urology Care Foundation. You can talk with your doctor for more information.

In addition to causing physical symptoms, Peyronie’s disease can affect your mental well-being.

In a 2025 study involving more than 10,000 men with the disease, researchers found that 19.6% of them had depression.

According to the Urology Care Foundation, about 50% of men with Peyronie’s disease report symptoms of depression. The condition may also cause anxiety and stress within intimate relationships.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of depression or other mental health concerns, consider working with a mental health professional, such as a therapist, who can provide individualized support.

With Peyronie’s disease, most of the changes to the penis occur in the first 18 months. After that, people generally experience less pain, and their curvature and plaque stabilize.

However, some symptoms, such as erectile dysfunction, may worsen over time.

Severe shortening and curving of the penis can be difficult to reverse, so it’s important to get treatment as early as possible.

Talk with your doctor if you notice symptoms of Peyronie’s disease, such as:

  • lumps in your penis
  • shortening of your penis
  • soft erections
  • painful erections
  • pain during sex
  • narrowing of your penis shaft
  • curving of your penis during an erection

Peyronie’s disease affects many people in the United States. It can cause:

  • pain
  • discomfort
  • sexual function issues
  • mental health challenges

Many treatments are available for Peyronie’s disease, including injections and surgery. Getting treatment soon after you notice symptoms can improve your outlook.

Talk with your doctor if you experience symptoms, such as curving or shortening of your penis.