EXTRACORPOREAL PULSE ACTIVATION TECHNOLOGY
(Shockwave - EPAT)
WHAT DOES IT TREAT AND HOW CAN IT HELP ME?
EPAT (Shockwave) is proven to help a variety of conditions and disorders of the musculoskeletal system, both acute and chronic. There is an ever growing field of evidence and use applications not only in the field of Orthopedics, but also Aesthetics, Urology, Cardiology, Dermatology, Neurology and Veterinary Medicine.
It is proven to have around 90% success rate on almost any type of strain, sprain, ache, pain or dysfunction involving the musculoskeletal system.
By including EPAT into your treatment plan, you are likely to see in accelerated reduction in pain and dysfunction as well as, in some cases, a 40-50% acceleration in healing meaning less down time and a faster recovery for you-getting you back to the things you love-FASTER!
It has shown great promise in reducing recovery time with athletic injuries-allowing the athlete to miss less time on the filed or court of play, and get back sooner than previously ever imagined.
In our clinic, we have seen severe plantar fasciitis injuries get better and allow return to high level activity within 2-3 weeks from what otherwise should have been a 5-6 week recovery time and rehab process.
Not only have we seen improvements with faster reductions of pain (in some cases an immediate resolution of pain), but also accelerated strength gains, allowing us to better target and treat weak areas to accelerate your full recovery and get stronger-faster!
Common Conditions Treated
Elbow Pain
-Tendinitis (Tennis Elbow and Golfers Elbow)
-Ligament Sprains (UCL/Tommy John Ligament Injury)
-Nerve Entrapment
Knee Pain
-Sprain/Strain of Knee
-Tendinitis (Quad, Hamstrings, Calf)
-Patellar Tendinitis ("Runner's Knee or Jumper's Knee")
-ACL/PCL/MCL/LCL Sprain or Injury
-Arthritis
Foot and Ankle Pain
-Plantar Fasciitis
-Morton's Neuroma
-Achilles Tendinitis
-Bursitis
Shoulder Pain
-Rotator Cuff Strain/Tendinitis
-Calcific Tendinitis
-Biceps Tendinitis
-Labrum Pathology
-AC Joint Sprain
-Frozen Shoulder aka Adhesive Capsulitis
-Arthritis
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EPAT?
An alternative to traditional treatment methods, such as surgery, EPAT improves the regenerative potential instead of further damaging an area that has degenerated due to poor blood flow, weakness, or a tissue/overuse injury. EPAT has a proven success rate that is equal to or greater than that of the traditional treatment methods, but it doesn't have the risks, complications, or lengthy recovery times that are associated with those methods.
When EPAT is performed by a qualified healthcare professional, like one of our physical therapy clinicians, it provides patients experiencing acute or chronic musculoskeletal pain with a multitude of benefits.
Those who receive EPAT in combination with other treatment techniques such as manual therapy and exercises in physical therapy see even better and faster results.
In addition to providing pain relief or pain reduction, EPAT does the following:
Accelerates the healing process
Improves blood flow and circulation
Restores mobility
Stimulates the metabolism for tissue regeneration
Treats the source of the pain or injury
OTHER BENEFITS:
91% success rate (as per clinical studies)
Non-invasive
No anesthesia
No risk of infection
No scarring
No downtime
Over 80% patient satisfaction
Faster, easier healing
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WHAT IS AN EPAT TREATMENT SESSION LIKE?Application of EPAT is quick and usually only takes up to 5-10 minutes. However, the length can vary depending on what injury or condition of the musculoskeletal system is being treated. During the treatment process, one of our clinicians will apply a coupling gel to the skin of the area being treated. After the gel is applied, a handheld applicator will be used to release EPAT pressure waves over the area of pain and surrounding tissues. FSW (if available) will then be delivered to the specific pain point to deliver higher energy to more effectively stimulate the regenerative capability of your tissues. The pulses will slowly increase until the desired tolerated energy level is reached. EPAT does not require anesthesia and is generally well-tolerated. After the session, patients are able to bear weight immediately as well as return to their normal activities with really no downtime. Patients will typically have EPAT applied for 4 to 6 treatment sessions 1x per week, but could be more or less depending on their injury or condition. The long term beneficial effects of EPAT are often experienced after three treatments. However, it can vary between patients. Some patients may experience immediate pain relief while others may take up to four weeks to begin to feel relief.
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COULD I STILL GET BETTER WITHOUT IT?Yes, we could get you out of pain but it could take significantly longer and I want to you to be able to get back to your goals and activities as quickly as possible.
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COULD I GET BETTER WITH JUST EPAT?Yes, there would be less and maybe no pain, but the source of why the pain began would not have been addressed and this risks that the pain could come back at some point. We want to make sure you can go back to all your goals and activities long term
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WILL IT HURT?There is the possibility of some discomfort because the area we will be treating is already sensitive but we will keep it at a level you are comfortable with and continuously check in with you throughout the treatment.
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WILL IT FEEL COMPLETELY BETTER AFTER THE FIRST SESSION?You should feel less pain after the first session, but it is normal to feel soreness for a few hours after the session. Also the pain may return after a few days but it should be less intense. This is why we recommend the 4-6 sessions to really get out of pain.
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IS EPAT SAFE?EPAT is an FDA-cleared technology that when performed by a qualified healthcare professional, such as one of our physical therapy clinicians, has virtually no side effects or risks, including no risk of infection or scarring. This technology has undergone extensive clinical studies and tests to confirm its safety and efficacy and is currently used all around the world.
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ARE THERE RISKS?There are almost no risks to trying it. There is the possibility of some soreness after treatment but this should only last a few hours. It is non-invasive and you are good to get back to working out and your daily activities right after treatment! Disclaimer: Patients should be advised to not take NSAIDs 48 hours before or after treatment in order to let that inflammation created with treatment do its work to accelerate healing.
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IS EPAT SAFE?EPAT Is a FDA Cleared technology that when performed by a healthcare professional, such as one of our physical therapy clinicians, has no virtual side effects or risks. This technology has undergone extensive clinical studies and tests to confirm its safety and efficacy and is currently used all around the world.