Whether you are a weekend warrior suffering from irritated tendons or the Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams suffering from plantar fasciitis, the First Coast Foot and Ankle Clinic may have your solution. Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Treatment (EPAT) is a new therapy able to help people with inflamed and irritated tendons. The best part... No surgery required!  Other treatments effective in taking care of such aches and pains are:

• Custom orthotics
• Physical therapy
•  Stretching
• and the dreaded…cortisone injections

EPAT is the most advanced and highly effective, non-invasive, treatment method approved by the FDA. The word extracorporeal means the entire treatment takes place from outside of the body—no knife required. It then transmits shockwaves through the tissue to the area of injury causing micro-trauma. This will stimulate blood flow to the area and insure the injured tendon receives the nutrients it needs to heal. Because EPAT works by causing small, localized areas of inflammation, avoid taking anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, and so on. The benefits include:

• Cost effective
• Patients are immediately fully weight bearing
• Bilateral patients can be treated at the same time
• Returning to your work/normal routine within 24-48 hours after the procedure

The procedure itself is performed in our Jacksonville, FL office and takes less then half an hour. While it is not painless, patients usually are not in extreme discomfort. Dr. Reddy will anaesthetize the area to minimize any pain.  The expected results are often experienced after only 3 treatments at weekly intervals but may take up to four weeks for pain relief to begin.  The overall goal is to achieve maximum healing in minimum time.