What is EECP?
EECP stands for enhanced external counterpulsation. It is a noninvasive highly effective treatment for chest pain due to coronary artery disease. It has been used in the United States since 1995 to treat patients with cardiac chest pain unresponsive to other therapies, or who are too sick to undergo invasive treatments. EECP improves chest pain and shortness of breath in most patients. The therapy involves inflating cuffs around the legs and pelvis during the relaxation phase of the cardiac cycle, called diastole. Because it is noninvasive, the treatment is extremely safe and may be provided in a doctor’s office. We have worked with this treatment for the last ten years and find that it is beneficial for a number of medical conditions, including angina, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, stroke, edema, hypertension, chronic fatigue syndrome, and deconditioning. It may also be used to enhance physical performance. Professional athletes have found it useful in preventing injuries
