What is ECP?

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ECP (External Counter Pulsation) is an alternative treatment for heart diseases such as angina or any other cardiac issues. It uses pressure to perform a “natural bypass” to our hearts.

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ECP helps reroute blood around narrowed or blocked arteries that are not supplying sufficient blood flow to the heart. It is an outpatient procedure during which cuffs are wrapped around the patient’s calves, thighs and buttocks. The cuffs are connected to air hoses that in turn are connected to valves that inflate and deflate the cuffs in sync with the patient’s heart beat. The pressure compresses blood vessels in the legs in order to increase blood flow to the heart. ECP may prompt blood vessels to create small channels (collaterals) that may act as “natural bypass’ to increase blood flow to the heart and relieve angina symptoms.

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Benefits of ECP

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The benefits of ECP therapy are proven in more than 190 clinical studies. ECP therapy improves the entire health system by restoring delivery of oxygenated blood to the heart and all parts of the body. Clinical studies show that over 75% of patients benefit from ECP therapy with sustained improvement up to three years post-treatment. ECP therapy may:

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• Increase energy and exercise tolerance

• Decrease medication and nitroglycerin use

• Reduce or eliminate symptoms of chest pain

• Reduce symptoms of shortness of breath, fatigue

• Improve in Angina & Heart failure classification

• Reduce leg pains from peripheral vascular disease

• Improve coronary perfusion

• Create natural bypasses around narrowed arteries

• Improve circulation and organ perfusion

• Improve sexual function for men

• Improvement in oxygen consumption

• Reduce symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

• Reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease

• Reduce hospitalization and emergency room visits (eecp.cz, 2015)

• Anti-aging effects (Ghaly, F. I., MD, N.D).

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Not only is ECP a therapy for those who suffer from cardiovascular disease, it also assists in the management of other common illnesses, including diabetic neuropathy and retinopathy, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, kidney disease, memory disorders, peripheral vascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, and macular degeneration (blindness). ECP also greatly improves the overall quality of patients’ lives, by giving them more energy and an enhanced ability to work, perform daily tasks and exercise, thus allowing them to enjoy a greater sense of well-being (Ghaly, F. I., MD, N.D).

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