EPAT: Alternative Treatment to Surgery for Plantar Fasciitis & Heel Pain

epat therapy plantar fasciitis

At Certified Foot and Ankle Specialists, our podiatrists and surgeons will first exhaust every conservative treatment method before resorting to more invasive options to provide you with relief from your plantar fasciitis. However, if you’re plantar fasciitis pain is not responding well to conservative treatments – such as cortisone injections and stretching – surgery is often the only other option…until now. Our Coral Springs location is home to a revolutionary treatment option for your plantar fasciitis pain that lets you avoid going under the knife: EPAT.

What is EPAT?

A type of shockwave therapy, EPAT (Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology) can treat a number of chronic foot and ankle conditions causing inflammation, including plantar fasciitis, heel pain and Achilles tendinitis. By utilizing acoustic pressure waves which are implemented directly on the site of your injury or pain, EPAT breaks up any remaining scar tissue and reduces inflammation that has not previously responded to other treatment options. Additionally, this type of therapy promotes healing within a patient’s own body, speeding up the recovery process.

Not only is this treatment option highly-effective, it is FDA-approved and can be completed in the Certified Foot and Ankle Specialists office in Coral Springs.

What Can Patients Expect with EPAT?

In addition to being more effective than other conservative or surgical options, it is quick too. Each EPAT session only takes about five to 10 minutes and most patients only require three to five sessions. In most cases, patients will even begin to experience relief after just three treatments and 80% of patients who have completed their sessions report they are now pain free or have a significant reduction in their pain levels.

EPAT treatment requires no anesthesia or numbing agent. After applying a little Ultrasound gel to the affected area, your doctor will use a wand to direct the shock waves on your specific injury.

Below, Dr. Jason LeVitre explains a little more about this technique and demonstrates how it is performed on a patient experiencing chronic heel pain.

If you’re interested in finding out more about EPAT and to determine if you qualify, call our office today in Coral Springs to set up an appointment with one of our board-certified podiatrists.  (954) 271-0702

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