Blood Flow Restriction Training

What Is Blood Flow Restriction Therapy?

Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFR) is a contemporary Physical Therapy Modality used to improved muscle strength, endurance and power while reducing load and impact on injured body parts. The result is better and faster physical therapy results!

How Does Blood Flow Restriction Therapy Work? 

Blood Flow Restriction (BFR)Therapy starts with exercisers using LIGHT resistance and HIGH repetitions while using wearing a specialized BFR cuff on the involved limb. One of the primary means by which Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFR) contributes to strength improvements is by limiting normal blood flow to the muscles of the limb. As a result the energy demand of the muscles becomes much higher, causing the muscle to fatigue faster. Fatigue while using blood flow restriction training is similar to lifting heavy weights with lower repetitions during a gym session. This achieves a similar sensation as "the pump" that weightlifters experience after repetitively lifting heavy weights. The earlier onset of muscle fatigue increases recruitment of the type II muscle fibers, which are the primary target to enhance the development of muscle strength and muscle hypertrophy. 

The great advantage to use of  Blood Flow Restriction Training is a muscle can be exercised without heavy resistance, but create a level of fatigue equivalent to using heavy resistance. This advantage can greatly aid physical therapy treatment and recovery after a total joint replacement, a partial rotator cuff tear, and after dislocating a joint. Strength development is essential early on in the physical therapy process for post operative conditions. However, due to surgical precautions and healing times, resistance training with weights may not be appropriate yet. By applying a Blood Flow Restriction cuff to the arm or leg, simple exercises such as arm or leg raises can be performed in a manner that simulates the presence of greater resistance- thus allowing the muscles to get an excellent workout without the physical stress on the joint or muscle from the force of heavy resistance.

First, before Blood Flow Restriction Training is applied, each patient is screened medically to make sure that restricting blood flow to the arm or leg is appropriate. Chronically high blood pressure, significant heart disease, and similar conditions may require additional clearance from the prescribing orthopedic or the patient's cardiologist. Once the patient is cleared for use, an automatic Blood Flow Restriction cuff is applied around the upper part of the arm or leg. Each cuff has a pressure pump included. The cuff is calibrated to momentarily find the occlusion pressure for the specific arm or leg, which is different for each person. The occlusion pressure is the degree of compression that is required to fully restrict arterial blood flow to the arm or leg. A 100% occlusion pressure is never used exercising with a BFR cuff on. The occlusion pressure is found and calculated simply to determine how much pressure will be used once the person begins exercising. For the arms a 30-50% occlusion pressure is normally used, and for the legs a 50-80% occlusion pressure. Once the automatic cuff calculates the occlusion pressure, and the chosen percentage of this pressure is set, the cuff pumps up and the patient is ready to perform physical therapy exercise! 

Common Physical Therapy injuries & surgeries indicated for Blood Flow Restriction Training:

• Total Joint Replacements (Shoulder, Hip, Knee, Ankle & Toe)
• Shoulder Rotator Cuff Injuries
• Labral Tears (Shoulder or Hip)
• Knee Arthroscopic Surgery, Meniscus Repair ACL Repair, & MCL Injury.
• Shoulder Dislocations
• Chronic Ankle Sprains
• Arthritis
• Athletes Returning To Sport

One of the studies that best highlights and summarizes what Blood Flow Restriction Training can accomplish is a study by Grondfeldt et al in 2020 from the Scandinavian Journal of Medical Science Sports. What the study found, after looking through 16 well defined research studies, is that the use of Blood Flow Restriction Training with resistance that allows 20-30 repetitions (aka low resistance levels) can provide a gain in muscular strength very similar to use of heavier loads that would normally be heavy resistance and only 3-12 repetitions. Here is a prime example. Bicep strengthening is indicated 6 weeks after a shoulder surgery and repair of the biceps (in most cases). If the patient could normally lift 20lbs of resistance only 1 time, then with BFR they could do 4lbs of resistance for strengthening work and perform 30 repetitions. This scenario of only 4lbs of resistance performed with higher repetitions can provide nearly the same results as if the patient lifted up to 18lbs or resistance for 3-4 repetitions. 

Don't wait to start feeling better. Schedule your physical therapy appointment today and experience blood flow restriction training for yourself! Take the first step towards transforming your life with SparGO Physical Therapy Bristol, Terryville, Thomaston CT 06010.