Enhanced external Counterpulsation is a non-invasive treatment for angina, for patients and people over fifty and even younger, angina can be the first signs of a heart-related issue or a sign that something’s happening to the body that needs immediate addressing. While several studies show that EECP works effectively for patients with coronary heart diseases, we slowly understand and see that the use of EECP can be the solution to many medical problems associated with poor circulation in the body.
Understanding Angina and how EECP helps to cure circulatory problems in the body.
Angina is a sharp pain in the chest like a squeezing feeling or tightness in the region. The principal cause is due to reduced blood flow to the heart – in other words, it’s a circulatory effect. When the heart does not receive an adequate amount of blood, the patient's suffers from angina. With that said several other problems in the body result with little defects to the heart such as tingling and needle-like feeling in the nerve endings, muscle cramps, improper filtration of the kidney, erectile dysfunction, skin problems, and the count goes on. A healthy heart is a healthy body.
What is EECP and how does it work?
Aging disrupts the entire working process of the body, the heart starts to beat immediately after conception, and continues until we die; in between our heart goes through the ups of youthfulness and the lows of illnesses in our lifetime. Over time, appropriate lifestyle changes and lack of self-care results in cases like obesity, diabetes that affects the way the heart functions.
EECP is an outpatient procedure for angina and heart-related issues recommended for patients and people over the age of 50 with symptoms of chest tightness. The treatment involves attaching inflatable cuffs along both legs of the patients, and a computer controls the inflation, and deflation rate to mimic the systole and diastole beats of the heart increasing circulation. Patients undergo this process five days a week for one hour over a 35 day period, and the resulting effect has lasted for over three years in patients that tried it.
However, recent clinical studies found out that EECP also effectively combats other problem aside from the heart.
Some benefits are:
EECP for patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment
Exercise is the best option for increasing the blood flow to various parts of the body including the brain. However, in patients with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, this can be difficult due to poor cerebral blood flow resulting in a decline in cognitive ability in the brain. Mild cognitive impairment is a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease, and by improving the cerebral blood flow to the brain through EECP, the results show a reducing effect, and further degradation of mild cognitive impairments and patients were better off for it.
EECP and Diabetic Neuropathy
Probably the biggest negative of diabetes is peripheral neuropathy, a condition triggered by high levels of blood sugar in the body resulting in nerve damages due to insufficient blood flow to the feet and hands. In severe cases, patients have undergone amputation to prevent the spread and damaging effect of diabetes. The excruciating pain has been tackled using EECP to improve blood flow and oxygen level delivery to the nerve ending reducing pain and in some cases prevent disability or amputation with blood flow returning to their feet and hands and leading a healthy life.
EECP for patients with kidney dysfunction
The kidney is the body’s filtration systems removing all toxins like salt, body waste, the by-product of metabolism and maintaining the ph level of the body. For the liver to function effectively, it needs adequate blood flow through its veins. When the kidney is compromised and can no longer perform its duties due to the effect of cardiac failure on the renal function, EECP has shown to effectively increase blood flow to the kidneys by 21 percents allowing them to function better in making urine and filter toxins from the body.
EECP and Erectile dysfunction
Do you know that cardiac problems such as angina and heart-related issues can lead to erectile dysfunction in men? Erectile dysfunction is a lifestyle problem especially in people suffering from obesity and renal failure. Poor circulation and blood flow to the pe**le organ results in weak er****on and infertility in severe cases. However, when associated with cardiac patients, studies have found that the use of EECP to help return and maintain adequate blood flow to the private with the improved er****on by reducing inflammation of the veins and artery in the p***s.
EECP and Varicose Veins and Spider Veins
Even though they are not particularly painful, they are ugly and people especially women will love to get rid of them. Varicose and spider veins are a result of poor circulation and pressure on the veins that direct blood back to the heart. When they blocked, they become an obstruction to the proper flow resulting in lumps that are really not good looking. EECP has proven to effectively reduce and remove varicose and spider veins through Counterpulsation of the clot formed in the nerves. There is no direct correlation to angina or other heart-related issues; varicose veins could be the sign of some underlying problems in the body. Furthermore, EECP also improves oxygen flow to the skin surface and circulation making the skin youthful with a glow.
EECP and Stroke Patients
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to parts of the brain is cut off cause one portion of the body to be weak and drooping with no strength in the limbs. Stroke is a problem that requires medical emergency as the brain cells die off without sufficient oxygen which doesn't get to the brain. EECP has proven to be another very good and go-to procedure to cure ischemic stroke in elderly patients. Patients who suffer a stroke that underwent EECP had improved blood circulation to the brain and heart with increased carotid flow velocity, flow volume in the artery and veins and an overall cardiovascular health.
EECP and Angiogenesis
Angiogenesis is a normal process in the body and procedure where the body produces new blood vessels to help in repairing blocked blood vessels which also occurs in the placenta during pregnancy. The body has control over angiogenesis in the body. However, studies show that EECP is successful due to the ability to make the body create new blood vessels while unblocking old ones. However, this becomes a source of worry when the thought of EECP and angiogenesis is the reason why cancer cells thrive due to nutrient supply from the blood vessels. Innovative treatments are coming up where angiogenesis is targeted to prevent and curb tumors and cancer.
Why EECP
Enhanced External Counterpulsation therapy has proven better for patients suffering from angina or who don’t qualify for heart surgery, bypass, stenting or angioplasty. For patients over the age of 50 with one form of heart disease or chest pain, the EECP is a non-invasive, painless procedure that increases blood circulation through cuff attached to the lower limb, thighs, and buttocks. In curing the heart, EECP also helps to increase blood flow and improve circulation to other parts of the body such as the brain, eyes, kidneys, skin and even help men with erectile function. The process has helped a lot of elderly to live fulfilling and better active lives well into their 90’s.
