If you are one of more than seven million people in the United States with angina, you may be all too familiar with angina. EECP may be the treatment for you. The body often can increase the amount of blood flowing to the muscle by opening up tiny branches of nearby vessels. This network of tiny vessels known as collateral circulation makes it possible for blood to detour around blocked or narrowed arteries. Coronary ateries have many branches like a tree.
Smaller arteries branch out into even smaller vessels.
EECP treats angina non-invasively with a system of inflatable cuffs that apply upward moving pressure to the calves, thighs and buttocks. This pressure, which is electronically synchronized with the function of the patient s heart, forces blood from the lower extremities towards the heart. Over the course of treatment, which typically involves daily one-hour sessions over a period of seven weeks, many patients will experience beneficial changes in their coronary arteries. Research has shown that most patients who undergo EECP treatments experience an increase in their capacity for exercise and a decrease in episodes of angina. These studies suggest that the treatment leads to improvements in the function of the heart and circulatory systems.