Hearty News: Get Pumped with EECP

Like many patients who are told by their doctors that they need immediate angioplasty or bypass surgery, Robert was shocked and worried. He was also skeptical. Just two months prior, he had been given a clean bill of health. So he started looking into alternatives and discovered a therapy that would ultimately change his approach to health—and his life: enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP).

EECP is a noninvasive therapy with incredible benefits for the cardiovascular system. Developed at Harvard University more than 50 years ago, EECP is sometimes referred to as a “natural bypass” because it stimulates the formation of collateral circulation, or new blood vessels around clogged arteries.

EECP is done in a doctor’s office for an hour once or twice a day. You lie on a special bed and inflatable cuffs similar to blood pressure cuffs are strapped around your upper thighs, lower thighs, and calves. An EKG monitors your heartbeat, and when your heart is “resting” between beats, the cuffs inflate and push blood up toward it; before the next beat, the cuffs rapidly deflate. You simply lie there, listening to music, watching a movie, or relaxing while the cuffs squeeze and release, squeeze and release.

In just three weeks—and often sooner—energy, endurance, stamina, and ability to exercise improve greatly. Angina episodes become less frequent and intense, and nitroglycerin and other drugs are almost always reduced or discontinued.

Robert opted to forgo the recommended angioplasty and stent placement and come to the Whitaker Wellness Institute for a course of EECP. He couldn’t be happier with his decision. He has had substantial improvements in his energy level, vitality, and overall health.  Robert says, “I now know from personal experience that alternative medicine is a better method than mainstream medicine. I plan to come back any time I have a serious health problem, and I have definitely ruled out heart surgery.”

EECP is a proven therapy for angina and heart failure.  And because improvements in circulation and arterial health are systemic, we also use EECP at Whitaker Wellness to treat patients with vascular dementia and memory loss, erectile dysfunction, Parkinson’s disease, neuropathy, peripheral artery disease, stubborn hypertension, some types of kidney disease and vision problems, and a handful of other conditions.

The Whitaker Wellness Institute was one of the first clinics in the United States to adopt EECP. Today, it’s offered by many major medical centers, including the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, and several Harvard-affiliated hospitals.

If you’d like to inquire about receiving EECP and other therapies for cardiovascular disease at the Whitaker Wellness Institute, email info@whitakerwellness.com or call (800) 488-1500. To look for a facility in your area that offers EECP, visit vasomedical.com. Be aware that many EECP centers will only accept patients with advanced disease who have failed all conventional treatment approaches.

Now it’s your turn: Have you or someone you know had EECP therapy?

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