Nothing slows a person down like foot problems, especially when conservative treatments don’t help. In the past, it was easy to assume the only way to find relief involved painful surgeries with lengthy recovery times. Fortunately, times have changed.
Advancements in technology have offered innovative solutions like Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology® (EPAT).
This form of therapy treats bone and soft tissue injuries by enhancing blood circulation, stimulating the healing process, and accelerating the recovery times. And the best part? It’s completely noninvasive, has no side effects, and requires no downtime.
Our experienced team at Premier Foot and Ankle Center & Elite Upper Extremity and Plastic Surgery strives to provide the most effective nonsurgical treatments whenever possible, including EPAT.
Here’s what you need to know about EPAT and how it can help these common foot problems.
EPAT is an FDA-approved therapeutic device that uses acoustic energy, or shockwaves, to stimulate the healing process in the body.
This may sound painful, but it doesn’t require any anesthesia or pain relievers prior to treatment, and our patients often leave the office feeling better than when they arrived.
What sets EPAT apart from other forms of treatment is how the pulses of sound waves stimulate your blood circulation and metabolism at an injury site, including your foot. This process not only helps activate and accelerate the healing process, but it also breaks up fibrotic or calcified tissue in the area.
And since EPAT doesn’t require medication or incisions, it also comes without lengthy downtimes or the risk of scarring or infection.
EPAT boasts a 91% success rate as a treatment for both acute and chronic pain conditions.
As a noninvasive therapy, Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology offers breakthrough results for numerous podiatric conditions. At our practice, we use EPAT to treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, but it’s especially effective for issues that include:
It’s also an excellent treatment option for sports injuries, including ankle sprains and stress fractures. In fact, we often recommend EPAT as a first line of treatment when you have an acute injury because it helps you heal faster and spend less time sitting on the sidelines.
We perform EPAT therapy onsite at Premier Foot and Ankle Center during a routine office visit.
EPAT therapy takes approximately 10-15 minutes, but your treatment time may vary depending on your condition. Avoid taking anti-inflammatory medications for at least one week before your appointment because it interferes with the natural inflammatory response EPAT triggers.
During your therapy session, we apply gel to your skin to help conduct the sound waves at the treatment site. Then we press the handheld EPAT applicator into the area, moving it in a circular motion while it delivers gentle pulses of energy.
Once your treatment is underway, you experience a series of therapeutic pulses of energy throughout your session.
After your treatment, you may have redness, mild discomfort, or bruising in the area, but this fades quickly, and you can usually resume normal weight-bearing activities, including walking, immediately.
While many people experience pain reduction immediately, it can take several weeks to see significant improvement in your symptoms. We often recommend a series of EPAT treatments to achieve the best results.
Do you have a foot problem? Contact our nearest location to see if EPAT can help. Our offices are in Webster, Worcester, and Leominster, Massachusetts.
