Penis Traction (Extender, Stretching) Devices
Penis traction devices (also referred to as penis extenders or stretchers) work through a very simple principle: they gradually stretch the penis through applied tension. With consistent use, this stretching force causes the penile tissues to adapt and rebuild in order to better cope with the stress placed on them. Over time, as more and more tissue cells are produced to ensure the penis fully adapts to the additional stress, visible increases in both penis length and girth are achieved.
Although many people are at first sceptical that permanent penile enlargement can be really achieved simply through the act of consistent stretching, medical research has actually verified the process and its effectiveness. To this end, the use of penile traction is to date the only medically backed and verified method of non-surgical penis enlargement.
High quality medical penis traction devices apply very consistent and precise levels of stretching force to ensure both safe usage and optimum tension levels for growth. They achieve this through two incrementally adjustable metal bars that run down either side of the flaccid penis. At one end of these bars, a base ring fits around the pubic area, whilst at the other end a surgical silicone loop or strap keeps the penis head firmly in place. Over time, the metal bars are gradually lengthened to both accommodate the produced increase in penis length and to provide higher levels of stretching force.
The Origins of Penile Traction Devices
Medical penis traction devices were originally pioneered in the mid 1990's as a means of helping patients achieve permanent length increases after undergoing penis lengthening surgery. In fact, the traction device is still considered such a vital part of the post operative treatment following penis lengthening surgery that when it's not used, patients rarely achieve any length increases at all.
Despite their importance to the success of the surgical lengthening procedure, penis traction devices have until recently remained relatively unheard of outside of medical circles. However, with the recent wide-spread marketing of Type 1 medical devices such as the Pro-Extender and SizeGenetics, as well as the publicity gained by the success of numerous clinical test results, public interest has soared.
With all this recent publicity, it's easy to wonder if the concept of applying traction to the human body is something of a new and relatively untested fad. However, the fact of the matter is that stretching techniques of this nature have been employed in various cultures for a variety of purposes over many years. From ancient tribal customs through to modern day medical uses, traction has been used quite successfully to stretch or enlarge various parts of the body.
Although the principles of how the human body adapts to the force of traction have been known for many centuries, what is relatively new is the development and wide-spread availability of medically pioneered devices that allow these principles to be applied safely to the penis. Together with modern day clinical research verifying the effectiveness of such techniques, it looks as if traction as a method of penis enlargement will continue to grow in popularity.
Examples Of Traction Being Used In Various Cultures
It may seem incredible to think that human tissue can be forced to grow just by stretching, but there are many examples that you've probably read about or seen on the Discovery channel at one time or another. Take the various African tribes who use stone weights to gradually stretch their ears, or use clay plates to stretch their lips. Or the Burmese Padaung tribe, made famous by a cover photo on the National Geographic, who use brass rings to gradually elongate their entire necks. They can achieve phenomenal increases of up to ten inches in neck length over the course of their adolescence just by applying systematic traction.
Of more interest to most men however, are probably the various tribes and cultures who use stretching techniques to actually permanently lengthen their penises. There are two well known examples of this practice worth mentioning. Firstly, an Indian holy sect known as the Sadhus, who for their own version of spiritual enlightenment spend a lifetime of attaching rather heavy rocks to their penises and secondly, the African Karamojong tribe who from childhood use ever increasing numbers of stone disks to do the same. Both the Sadhus and the Karamojong achieve similar penis lengths using these techniques, reaching lengths of up to 18 inches given time and (I would think) a certain degree of pain.
Why they would want 18 inches is beyond me, but for those of us with more moderate goals these examples do show the possibilities.
Medical Uses Of Traction
Cultural examples such as those listed above are all well and good, but you may wonder, are these stretching principles ever used in modern Western medicine?
Well, surprisingly the answer is, "Yes they are".
As you've already read, penis stretching devices are an absolute necessity after penis lengthening surgery. In fact, it's through continuously stretching the penis post surgery that gains in length are produced, not through the surgery itself. The only function of the lengthening operation is to cut the ligaments that attach the penis to the pubic bone, as this is meant to assist in the gradual forward movement of the internal penile shaft. But the fact is, many now agree that the scar tissue produced through cutting the ligaments actually makes the lengthening process more difficult, not easier. This is because scar tissue tends to shrink and as such, pulls the penis back into the body as the pubic area heals. Probably for this reason, more research has focused in recent years as to whether penile traction can produce penis size gains on its own without the need for surgery.
A more mainstream example of tissue stretching in Western Medicine is provided by women who have undergone a mastectomy i.e. removal of a breast due to cancer. After the breast is removed, an inflatable tissue expander is placed under the chest muscle, which is then inflated gradually with saline solution over the following months. As the tissue expander enlarges within the chest, the muscles and skin surrounding the expander are also forced to permanently stretch. After several months, the tissue expander is then removed and a permanent breast implant is inserted into the newly enlarged chest cavity.
Skin grafts can also be created using similar stretching techniques, particularly in cases where large grafts of skin are required, for example after suffering severe body burns. Here traction is used to gradually stretch a healthy area of skin on the patient's body, and the resulting additional skin created is then transplanted to the injured area.
Research Into Penile Traction
As you can see from the above examples, the use of traction has quite a long, varied and successful history, and it is upon this track record that recent research has focused on its effectiveness as a method of penis enlargement.
One of the most compelling clinical studies into the effects of penile traction was conducted by a Danish plastic surgeon in 1998. The study which involved 18 healthy men ranging in age from their early 20's to their late 40's charted the gains they achieved in penis size through traction over 24 weeks of daily usage. At the 8 week mark, the 18 test subjects had gained an average of 17 percent in erect length, whilst by the 24th week, the average erect length increase was a rather impressive 29 percent.
The above study, entitled 'Tractive Elongation of the Penis by Means of Stretching' by Jørn Ege Siana, MD, used a medically developed device known as the Pro Extender and the impressive results reported in this study have undoubtedly been the catalyst for the rising interest and popularity of non surgical penis enlargement.
Since this initial research was undertaken in 1998, a number of additional medical studies have corroborated and verified these findings - providing irrefutable medical evidence that when done correctly, non-surgical penis enlargement is indeed possible.
My Thoughts...
Had public knowledge about the effectiveness of penile traction been more wide-spread when I was looking for a safe, permanent means of enlarging my penis I have no doubt I would have committed myself without hesitation. That isn't to say I am not more than happy with the gains I achieved through natural penis enlargement exercises, but I feel the use of a traction device would probably have required less perseverance and commitment on my part. Even with an exceptionally good exercise guide such as Penis-Health, it can be difficult at times to stay totally motivated. It's all too easy to miss a workout here and there out of laziness, or to find you just don't have time to exercise because you've literally run out of hours in the day.
The great thing about medical traction devices is that they are specifically designed to be as unobtrusive as possible. As long as you don't intend to be running a marathon or climbing K2 during the day, they can be worn pretty discreetly under a pair of loose pants and shouldn't interfere with general everyday activities such as walking and sitting. So you have the option of driving to work, sitting in an office, even doing the shopping whilst always gaining the benefits of the device. In this regard they almost take the 'work' out of penis enlargement, as you really don't need to commit a specific amount of time each day to following the regime. In fact, traction devices can be worn so easily that it's important not to wear them in excess, so as to give the penis sufficient time to recover between traction sessions.
It's important to remember that medically developed traction devices act on the penis in a very gradual, methodical manner. They are precisely engineered to produce exacting levels of stretching force that will, given time provide optimum results whilst at the same time ensuring the safety of the wearer. This is in contrast to some alternative stretching methods, such as the use of weights or the methods employed by various tribal cultures mentioned above, that can potentially cause problems. Hanging weights indiscriminately from the penis for example, can place excessive and haphazard force on the penile tissues which can potentially lead to injury. Penile stretching is certainly effective, but it has to be done with a degree of responsibility, care and with the aid of a medically approved device.
Used on its own, a medical grade penis traction device can produce pretty impressive results. If you remember from the clinical study I mentioned above, users typically noticed a 17 percent increase in size after only 8 weeks and a significant 29 percent improvement after 24 weeks.
But this is without the aid of the recently developed 'dual combination' approach that the top manufacturers now recommend. Companies such as SizeGenetics now offer their traction devices together with both penis exercise techniques and high quality male enhancement supplements to further boost results - a technique that has reportedly seen many individuals experience the same level of gains in half the time. Through my own positive experiences of combining penile supplements with natural penis exercise, I wouldn't be surprised if this does indeed promote significantly quicker gains than those originally reported.
The one downside of using a penis traction device is of course cost. Increased demand has meant that the price of medical devices such as the Pro Extender and Size Genetics device have fallen significantly, although they still cost around the $300 for the device and a few Dollars extra for the optional supplements should you wish to take them. The reason they are still moderately expensive despite their rise in popularity is obviously due to their status as medical equipment and the substantial research and development costs that would have been incurred during their development.
Whether you consider this expense to be justifiable is only a question you can answer. As far as I'm concerned, a few hundred dollars is a small investment in comparison to the life changing effects that can be derived. 'Life changing' may seem like an over exaggeration, but I don't use the term lightly. In my mind, the improvement in self-esteem and confidence (both sexual and non-sexual) I experienced by enlarging my penis was for me most certainly life changing and as far as I'm concerned is almost priceless.
If you have the inclination and the time, there is always the less expensive alternative of natural penis enlargement exercises - in fact, all you need is the help of a well researched guide. It worked for me and I'm sure it can work for any man who has the commitment and patience to follow it through. The results that can be achieved through exercise are equal to those that can be achieved through traction, the only difference being that natural penis enlargement is more 'labour intensive'. Although I remain a strong advocate of natural exercise methods, I can't help feel that the use of traction offers a simpler, more convenient route to the same end goal.
Related Articles:
Penis Traction Medical Research - An overview of the numerous medical studies that have now been performed into the safety and effectiveness of penis enlargement through the use of traction. Includes average results achieved by the test subjects and study summaries.
Type 1 Medical Devices - An introduction to the types of devices used in the above medical trials.
Product Comparisons - A closer look at the two leading devices: SizeGenetics and Pro Extender. The only penis traction devices to have been certified as 'Type 1 Medical Devices' and to have undergone extensive clinical research.
