If you’ve ever dealt with plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, or other painful chronic podiatric ailments, you know how difficult playing sports, exercising, or even simply moving around can be. If you’ve tried conservative methods but still experience pain or difficulty with walking, you don’t need to resort to more invasive procedures to find relief. A safe, effective, non-invasive treatment known as EPAT can help you get back on your feet! Learn more about this procedure and its many benefits below:
What Is EPAT?
Also known as Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Therapy, EPAT is a non-invasive, in-office procedure used worldwide to safely and effectively treat acute and chronic musculoskeletal disorders, including plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, heel spurs, and more.
How Does EPAT Work?
This procedure is performed in our office without any form of anesthesia required. EPAT works by sending sound wave pulses into the area of injured tissues through a handheld applicator. These pulses gradually increase to the desired therapeutic level, causing harmless micro-trauma in the affected area and stimulating your body’s own healing reaction by enhancing improved blood circulation and stem cell formation. This aids in the regeneration of the injured tissue, leading to accelerated healing and resulting in pain relief of the previously injured area.
This procedure takes about 15 minutes per session with sessions taking place about a week apart from each other. Many times patients require about 3 to 5 sessions to help alleviate and reverse their pain. The longer you’ve been suffering from pain, the more treatments you may need.
Is EPAT Safe?
EPAT is an FDA-approved treatment that has virtually no risks or side effects. There have been vast FDA studies showing an approximate 90% success rate in treating plantar fasciitis and other podiatric tendon issues with EPAT.
What Are the Benefits of EPAT?
Many of our patients are satisfied with their results after being treated with EPAT! Here are the biggest benefits our patients experience after they see us for this procedure:
- Limited downtime. Very limited downtime with a swift recovery makes EPAT an attractive choice for many patients, especially athletes looking to get back onto the field quickly. Some patients report immediate improvement after their session. Most patients, however, will feel significantly better within a few short weeks, experiencing the full benefits within 3 months as new tissue is created.
- Noninvasive procedure. One of the greatest benefits of this procedure is its noninvasiveness. This means you don’t need to worry about the risk of infection, and there are no stitches, scars, or sutures involved!
- No anesthesia necessary. This procedure requires absolutely no anesthesia, which is great news if you’re sensitive to anesthesia or feel uncomfortable with being put under.
- Quick procedure with positive long-term results. Since each session lasts about 15 minutes each, you can come in to receive treatment during your lunch hour and head back to work. After these short sessions, you’ll experience pain relief that lasts for years, setting you up for long-term success.
- Faster recovery. Because this procedure is non-invasive, recovery time is much faster compared to other more invasive measures, making EPAT a complete game-changer for countless patients. Following your therapy, you can return to your regular activities within 24-48 hours and bear weight immediately.
Is EPAT Right for Me?
If you’ve had plantar fasciitis for several months and no other treatment has proven effective, then EPAT may be right for you. This procedure may also benefit those suffering from acute or chronic pain including:
- Achilles tendinitis
- Heel spurs
- Neuromas
- Plantar fasciitis
- Tendon pain or tendinitis of any kind
While the procedure is considered safe and effective, it isn’t recommended for those who are pregnant, those who have neurological foot disease or vascular foot disease, those with pacemakers, or patients who take medications that interfere with blood clotting.
Consult the Experts at The Foot & Ankle Center Don’t let heel pain keep you sidelined. Get back to the life you deserve by calling the friendly, knowledgeable doctors at The Foot & Ankle Center! We can help determine if EPAT is right for you. Call us at (314) 487-9300 or request an appointment with us online!