EECP -- Enhanced External Counter Pulsation -- is a superb, non-invasive therapy for heart disease, angina,
congestive heart failure, hypertension, stroke, neuropathy, and other medical problems. It is, in effect, a
most potent anti-aging therapy, and should be considered in any program to support individual well-being.
There are numerous other benefits, since having counter pulsation is like adding a second heart to the body.
Increased blood flow occurs in the brain, kidneys, intestines, and all other organs and tissues in the body.
Complex hormonal interactions are stimulated, resulting in improved kidney function, lowering of blood pressure,
increased energy, endurance, and sense of well-being.
Patients with stroke have experienced much quicker improvement than would otherwise occur. Medications used
for treating chest pain as well as high blood pressure may be reduced and sometimes completely eliminated.
EECP is also effective in boosting athletic performance, providing a complete, passive cardiovascular workout,
reducing lactic acid buildup and increasing blood and lymph flow.
What is EECP?
EECP is a mechanical procedure in which long inflatable cuffs (like blood pressure cuffs) are wrapped around both
of the patient’s legs. While the patient lies on a bed, the leg cuffs are inflated and deflated with each
heartbeat. This is accomplished by means of a computer, which triggers off the patient’s ECG so that the cuffs
deflate just as each heartbeat begins (SYSTOLE) and inflate just as each heartbeat ends (DIASTOLE).
When the cuffs inflate they do so in a sequential fashion, so that the blood in the legs is “milked” upwards, toward
the heart.
EECP has two potentially beneficial actions on the heart. First, the milking action of the leg cuffs increases
the blood flow to the coronary arteries. (The coronary arteries, unlike other arteries in the body, receive
their blood flow after each heartbeat instead of during each heartbeat. EECP, effectively, “pumps” blood into the
coronary arteries.)
Second, by its deflating action just as the heart begins to beat, EECP creates something like a sudden vacuum in the
arteries, which reduces the work of the heart muscle in pumping blood into the arteries.
Both of these actions have long been known to reduce cardiac ischemia (the lack of oxygen to the heart muscle) in
patients with coronary artery disease. Indeed, an invasive procedure that does the same thing, intra-aortic
counter pulsation (IACP, in which a balloon-tipped catheter is positioned in the aorta, which then inflates and
deflates in time with the heartbeat), has been in widespread use in intensive care units for decades, and its effectiveness
in stabilizing extremely unstable patients is well known.
How Does It Work?
EECP is completely noninvasive and requires no anesthesia or recovery time. A set of inflatable cuffs is placed around
the legs and pelvis. The cuffs are sequentially inflated from the bottom up, under EXTERNAL pressure. This causes the
arteries and veins in the lower extremities to collapse and forces the blood upwards toward the heart. A wave of pressure
then proceeds into the heart and into the coronary arteries.
IN STUDIES WITH HEART PATIENTS, The result OF EECP SESSIONS is a significant increase in cardiac blood flow. After
a series of treatments, usually 35, 1-hour in length, collateral blood vessels develop around the heart, creating a natural
bypass around the occluded vessels. The response rate for patients suffering from angina is around 80 percent, with
none of the risks of open-heart surgery or angioplasty. People who complete a series of EECP treatments often have
fewer episodes of angina, reduce or eliminate their need for anti-angina medications, have greater exercise tolerance and
improved endurance and have a greatly improved overall quality of life.
What Does It Feel Like?
EECP treatment is similar having a set of giant blood pressure cuffs on your legs. Since the cuffs are inflated and
deflated in time to your heart beat, some patients compare treatment to a rhythmic massage. Most patients listen to
music, read a book, or even take a relaxing nap while receiving EECP treatments. Many feel alert, rested and energetic
after their treatment is over.
If you are interested in EECP therapy for yourself, a friend, or family member please contact us today at 602-244-5724 or
info@drbenbo.com.
