Blood Flow Restriction
Improving muscular strength is an important goal of physical therapy. Symptoms such as pain and stiffness are common road blocks to building strength when recovering from injury.
Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training is a new training strategy that utilizes a specialized tourniquet system to limit blood flow to the muscle. Research has shown that this technique allows patients to achieve greater gains in muscle strength and hypertrophy while lifting significantly less weight, reducing the overall stress on the limb.
Proven to be completely safe in clinical practice, BFR can stimulate muscle growth in populations ranging from the elderly, to the elite athlete, to those with chronic musculoskeletal conditions and can reduce muscle atrophy in the post-surgical patient.
Compared to traditional low-load strengthening, Blood Flow Restriction Rehabilitation is more effective with less side effects, helping people to get back to doing what they love, faster.
Conditions that can be treated with BFR Training:
- Total hip/knee replacement
- Rotator cuff tear/tendonitis
- ACL repair/reconstruction
- Osteoarthritis
- Achilles tendinopathy
- Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)
- Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer’s Elbow)
- Bone fractures
- Reduced weight-bearing protocols
- Generalized weakness and deconditioning
Benefits of Blood Flow Restriction Training:
- Improved athletic performance
- Improved cardiovascular endurance (VO2 Max)
- Increased strength and muscle growth
- Decreased muscle soreness as compared to traditional strengthening
- Faster bone healing times
- Increased collage and protein synthesis
- Increased tendon thickness/stiffness
