Pain, fatigue, and disrupted sleep are among the unpleasant–and potentially even debilitating–symptoms of musculoskeletal pain. The condition can be caused by injury, poor posture, or repetitive motion. It’s not uncommon, but can become so severe that it interferes with normal work, social, and family activities. Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Therapy (EPAT) is among the fastest acting, least invasive means of alleviating musculoskeletal pain. It can be effective on it’s own and as a way of providing patients with the relief they need to begin working on corrective exercises that will help prevent the condition from occurring again.
What Is EPAT?
EPAT is an FDA approved technique which uses acoustic pressure to stimulate the metabolism, improve circulation, and facilitate regeneration in injured or stressed tissue. The therapy normally consists of three brief sessions (10-15 minutes each), during which couple gel is applied and an applicator releasing pressure waves is moved slowly over the area–from a patient’s perspective, the experience may look similar to an ultrasound.
Most patients feel relief within forty-eight hours of the treatment, and some as soon as immediately after.
Why would you want to use EPAT?
Major reasons why people choose to have EPAT done are:
- Non-invasive
- No anesthesia required
- No incision/accompanying risk of infection and/or scarring
- Few known side effects, other than some residual pain within that forty-eight hour window
- Patients are able to bear weight/move immediately after treatment
- Fast/convenient
Important things to remember about having musculoskeletal pain are:
- It’s important to diagnose the root cause of musculoskeletal pain prior to treatment. It could be caused by an underlying neuromuscular condition, or even by an emotional or psychological condition like anxiety or depression. If this is the case, the other condition must be treated separately.
- Therapeutic massage, physical therapy, medication, and surgery are among many treatments that may be prescribed alongside or as an alternative to EPAT to treat the root cause of musculoskeletal pain.
- EPAT is not a corrective or preventative treatment; if poor posture or repetitive motions caused the musculoskeletal pain, chances are they’ll cause it again unless addressed.
Request an appointment to learn more about EPAT and whether it may be effective for you.
