NEUROPATHY: An Alternative Therapy for Foot Pain

Are you struggling with foot pain caused by neuropathy? Neuropathy is a nerve disorder that affects the arms, hands, legs, and feet. Recent estimates suggest that between 25% to 30% of Americans or 20 million people suffer from symptoms associated with neuropathy including:

• Pain
• Burning
• Numbness
• Tingling
• Muscle spasms
• Muscle weakness

The symptoms tend to progress over time, keeping sufferers from enjoying the lives they once used to. Pain felt in the feet due to neuropathy can be so severe that it will stop patients from walking and can keep them up through the night, causing insomnia.

Understanding Neuropathy

The symptoms caused by peripheral neuropathy are a result of damage to the nerves located in the spinal cord as well as the brain. Neuropathy can impact various areas of the body. However, one of the most common areas patients will experience symptoms is the feet. This can make it painful to walk or exercise, significantly impacting an individual’s quality of life.

Diabetes is commonly the cause of neuropathy. However, it may also occur as a result of chemotherapy as well as alcoholism and even exposure to heavy metals. Sometimes, there is no identifiable cause of the symptoms that patients experience making it a difficult condition to treat.

Traditional Treatment Options

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for neuropathy. Therapy has mainly focused on managing the symptoms caused by the condition. Many patients are treated with prescription medication or told they have to learn to live with the pain. While some types of neuropathy can be cured with surgery, this will not be a suitable option for most patients. Fortunately, those are not the only choices available.

Introducing EPAT Therapy

EPAT therapy, Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology, is a natural alternative therapy for neuropathy. Over the last 10 years, EPAT acoustic wave and radial shockwave have become highly effective modalities in the treatment of neuropathy. Recent clinical studies revealed that 90% of neuropathy patients treated with the EPAT protocol report a 50% or greater improvement in their pain and symptoms. More importantly, there has never been a single patient report a worsening of their condition after being treated with EPAT.

Even though it’s not a cure, EPAT therapy inhibits nerve inflammation, improves nerve conduction, creates stem cell formation, and naturally reduces pain. EPAT therapy allows neuropathy sufferers to live the life they want with a reduction in nerve-related pain.

Understanding EPAT and Radial Shockwave Therapy

EPAT and radial shockwave are FDA-approved, non-surgical therapies that have been shown to relieve pain associated with various conditions including neuropathy. The evidence-based technology accelerates the healing process by emitting high energy acoustic pressure waves into the damaged tissues and nerves. It works by stimulating the metabolic pathways in your tissue to speed up and enhance blood circulation, thereby accelerating the healing process without any downtime!

Benefits of EPAT and Radial Shockwave treatment include:

• Improving the blood supply to nerves
• Tissue regeneration
• Neovascularization

Another key benefit of EPAT is that it has virtually no side effects. There is no risk of infection or scarring after treatment. In rare cases, patients may experience mild bruising in the treated area. The technology has undergone extensive clinical research and is currently used at clinics around the world including Regenerative Medicine of Iowa, PC.

What to Expect during EPAT and Radial Shockwave Therapy

After an initial consultation, EPAT and radial shockwave for neuropathy will involve an in-office treatment that will typically take no more than 10 to 15 minutes. During this treatment time, multiple areas can be focused on including both feet, depending on the individual needs of the patient.

A gel will be applied to the affected area before using a handheld applicator to create acoustic pressure waves. The device will be moved in a circular motion, and the pulses will slowly increase until the desired level is achieved.

EPAT and radial shockwave do not require the use of anesthesia, and typically patients have a high level of tolerance for the treatment. If a patient experiences any pain or discomfort, treatment will stop immediately. Treatment will then restart at a lower intensity to match tolerance levels.

Maintaining the Results

EPAT and radial shockwave are not a one-off and will not cure neuropathy. Instead, patients who experience pain or discomfort in their feet due to neuropathy will require multiple treatments, especially if there is an underlying cause such as diabetes. For the best results, it is recommended that patients start by receiving weekly or biweekly EPAT or radial shockwave therapy. The period between follow-up treatments can then slowly be increased. Patients will also likely require maintenance treatments every four to six weeks.

Typically, patients will start to see a significant reduction in symptoms after two to three weeks. However, some patients may notice a change after just one treatment. This will often depend on the severity of their symptoms.

Experience the Benefits of EPAT

Patients who receive EPAT for neuropathy foot symptoms love it because it WORKS! Their symptoms improve significantly, allowing them to function more effectively and achieve a far higher quality of life.

Many patients have also been able to stop using ineffective medication or medication with unpleasant side effects such as drowsiness.

If you or someone you know suffers from neuropathy, consider exploring EPAT and Radial Shockwave Therapy. Regenerative Medicine of Iowa, PC. can help! Contact our office today to schedule a consultation.