Before your treatment
Eat a meal with 35-50 grams of protein prior to your ARP. Since an ARP treatment is a type of workout, your body needs protein for neurological and muscular development. Protein 60-90 minutes prior to treatment is ideal.
Some examples of 35-50 grams of protein
When choosing your protein source, meat from hooved animals is the best.
- 3 eggs with bacon or sausage
- 8oz steak
- 8oz burger
- 8oz pork chop
- 8oz beef jerky
- Whole chicken breast
- 6oz can of tuna
- 1.5 cups cottage cheese
- 10 tablespoons peanut butter
What to expect
- Don't be alarmed if you feel exhausted after an ARP treatment, especially your first one or your first in a long while. That's a sign some weak muscles were woken up and worked harder than they are used to.
- Some patients notice some workout stiffness after the first or second ARP session. This is a good sign: muscles working that are not used to being worked.
- Heavy alcohol consumption and ARP therapy DON'T MIX.
- Drink plenty of water after your ARP therapy and, again, have a protein rich meal following your ARP session in addition to the protein had before.
Staying consistent
Ideally a patient's pain or discomfort should be reduced by 25% with each ARP treatment. It is important to be consistent with your ARP treatments. Initially, visits need to be at least every couple of days for the best response. Sometimes with a complicated case it takes a treatment or two to find the exact problem spots to work on, kind of like peeling back the layers of an onion.
The routine course of ARP treatment consists of 4 treatments to reduce inflammation and 6 treatments to regain strength. Patients with high inflammation or stress, or patients with aggravating factors at work, may take longer.
Sometimes the ARPwave needs to be used on the nervous system itself rather than the problem area. Your ARP tech will know when you need a neurological treatment.
ARPwave can give quick relief to headaches, sinus pressure, and neck kinks. When working with an injury or a chronic problem, however, it is important to follow through with your treatment schedule. This ensures the injured area is fully rehabilitated and not likely to be reinjured in the future.
Your doctor's specific guidance for your case always comes first. If anything increases your pain, stop and call us at (605) 335-0880.
This home care pairs with ARPwave Therapy.