Dr. Paul van Bemmelen talks about treating PAD without surgery on eHealth Radio

Just in time for PAD Awareness Month is an interview by the very kindly Eric Michaels on the eHealth Radio podcast, “ArtAssist treatment helps poor circulation with Dr. Paul van Bemmelen“.

For being only 7 minutes long, this interview covers a lot of ground with the ArtAssist® device in a way that only Dr. van Bemmelen, as a key developer, can articulate. Listeners from all walks of life can learn a little bit from him as he exposes the harsh (yet unfortunately common) realities that patients with non-surgical PAD endure and more importantly, what your doctor can do to help you.

Excerpt:

Now, you have developed a device with ACI Medical to assist the arteries with the circulation called the ArtAssist®. What is it and how does that work?

Humans are unique because we are upright, and as long as we keep moving, our leg muscles are squeezing the blood back to the heart and assist in the circulation work. But modern humans are typically not active enough. The ArtAssist® is essentially a strong massage device that people can use at home. It obtains the good effects of walking – that is, increased blood flow – without the bad effects of walking, such as the need for more oxygen in the leg muscles with more pain. Also, real walking can worsen the friction between the skin and the shoes, which causes problems in diabetes.