Find out what EPAT therapy is and if it can effectively treat your foot problems.
When our Chicago podiatrists at Affiliated Podiatrists talk about EPAT, we are referring to Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT), an FDA-approved non-surgical therapy used to treat certain types of foot pain. Find out how EPAT works and whether it’s right for you and your feet.
What is EPAT?
EPAT stands for Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Treatment and this non-invasive treatment is designed to treat both acute and chronic injuries by allowing your Chicago, IL podiatrist to direct low-frequency sound waves to the injured area of your foot. Through these sound waves, we can increase blood flow and stimulate the body’s natural healing response to help facilitate faster healing.
What conditions can EPAT treat?
EPAT offers the best results to those patients dealing with pain caused by soft tissue injuries of the foot or ankle including,
- Plantar fasciitis
- Achilles tendinitis
- Acute and chronic muscle pain
- Myofascial trigger points
What should I expect from my EPAT sessions? How many will I need?
Each EPAT session is usually performed in less than 15 minutes with the average number of treatments being three. A new session will be performed every seven to 10 days.
Before treatment begins an ultrasound gel will be applied to the injured area. Then a small device, from which sound waves are generated, is directed at the region. The acoustic energy tenderizes the chronically irritated tissue, and stimulates blood flow to aid healing.
When will I start to notice relief from my symptoms?
Some patients report feeling immediate relief from pain while for others it may take up to four weeks to experience the relief they want. Overall, about 80 percent of people who’ve had EPAT report either being pain-free or experiencing a significant reduction in pain.
Millions of people all over the world have experienced relief through EPAT and you can too! Call your Chicago foot doctors at Affiliated Podiatrists today at (773) 631-2079 to schedule a consultation. Say goodbye to foot pain once and for all!