Blood flow restriction training to help accelerate recovery

If you’ve been injured or are recovering from orthopedic surgery, blood flow restriction (BFR) therapy is a proven strengthening technique that can aid your recovery.

By exercising a target muscle group while reducing the blood flow to the same area, you can regain endurance, strength and muscle growth without stressing joints or tissues that are still healing. BFR therapy can also help prevent muscle atrophy and muscle soreness.

Blood flow restriction therapy, also known as BFR or occlusion training, is a type of physical therapy treatment that uses a cuff to temporarily restrict blood flow to a muscle, or a group of muscles, while exercising. This cuff is similar to the cuff you wear during blood pressure checks.

The amount of pressure used to restrict blood flow is adjusted based on each patient’s needs and may vary between sessions. While pressure is applied, you’ll perform directed exercises to tire the muscles in the targeted area. This helps to stimulate the body’s natural healing capabilities.

Restricting blood flow reduces the oxygen level in certain muscles, creating a physiological demand on the muscles. Reducing oxygen makes the body think it’s working harder than it is. This enables you to lift lighter weights and get the same benefit as though you were lifting something much heavier, which then increases the hormone production necessary to build muscles and help you get stronger. BFR is a great training option for people who have weight-bearing restrictions during recovery from an injury or after surgery.

Combining low-intensity exercises with blood flow restriction creates a similar feeling to when you’re performing moderate to high-intensity resistance training.

Many people can benefit from including blood flow restriction therapy as part of their physical therapy plan. We often recommend BFR therapy for patients recovering from surgical procedures or nonsurgical treatments to help their recovery and relieve pain. This type of treatment is especially useful for people who have weight-bearing restrictions.

BFR training can be used to treat any part of the body, whether you’re recovering from knee replacement surgery, a shoulder injury or anything in between. Your physical therapist will talk with you about BFR training, answer your questions and let you know if this type of treatment would be a good fit for your unique needs and recovery goals.

Blood flow restriction therapy is often included as part of rehabilitation after orthopedic surgery, but it can also help people recover from injuries. BFR therapy is commonly used to treat:

• ACL tear surgery rehabilitation
• Ankle injuries
• Elbow injuries
• Hip injuries
• Joint replacement rehabilitation
• Knee injuries, including ligament tears
• Osteoarthritis
• Shoulder injuries
• Tendonitis

One of the biggest benefits of blood flow restriction training is you’re able to gain strength while working out with lower weights. Compared to regular weight training, BFR training helps you get the same strength and muscle gains while lifting only about 20-30% of the weight of your single repetition maximum effort. This means you’ll put less strain on your tendons and joints during lifting.

Other benefits of BFR training include:

• Better overall fitness levels
• Improved bone density and muscle mass
• Increased energy
• Less muscle soreness after training sessions
• Muscle loss prevention
• Smoother recovery following surgery
• Quicker recovery after training