Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFR)

Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) uses a compression cuff similar to a blood pressure cuff to temporarily restrict blood flow to a limb (or limbs) while exercising at low levels. The lack of blood flow to the limb causes a deoxygenation of the muscles creating an anaerobic environment, similar to high intensity training or 1 rep max lifting. This allows patients to increase muscle strength and endurance with lower loads or intensity of exercises.

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Why is this helpful? It enables patients to maintain strength and muscle mass while healing after surgery or injury without putting unnecessary stresses on the tissues. It will preserve the muscle while keeping pain levels low and preventing atrophy. This is also great for muscle recovery days to continue to gain muscle mass without stressing the muscles and causing overuse injuries that can occur with high intensity training. 

 

Our therapists have done specialized training to safely and effectively use BFR at the appropriate occlusion pressures for each patient to assist each patient in their recovery and rehab. The cuffs are engineered to test the maximum occlusion pressure of the limb required to fully restrict blood flow and then set to a percentage between 50-80% of the full occlusion pressure while performing the prescribed exercises.