What is Blood Flow Restriction and How is it Beneficial?
Ok, I know what you may be thinking – What can possibly be good about restricting blood flow?
How could that be helpful? Well, contrary to common belief, restricting blood flow to parts of the body during physical therapy has many benefits and can yield some pretty impressive treatment outcomes. Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) and its effects have been thoroughly researched and proven. Multiple studies have shown its impact on athletic performance, such as improved running velocity and increased speed in swimmers. Although most of us aren’t trying to get on the U.S. Olympic swim or track team, the rewards of using this tool when in treatment can still be reaped. Since becoming certified in BFR in 2016, it’s become a pillar of my treatment style and I’ve witnessed firsthand how it’s helped many of my patients.
Photo: used with permission granted from Owens Recovery Science
BFR uses a tourniquet that’s applied to the arm or leg to decrease arterial blood flow (blood flow towards the muscles) and occlude venous return (blood flow toward the heart). The tourniquet is then pressured to a certain percentage depending on if it is placed on the arm or leg. Ok, so what is the point of doing that? Well, restricting this blood flow does something cool. Let’s say that your one rep max was 100 pounds. This means that you would need to perform that exercise with 80 pounds to get true strength gains. However, with a BFR tourniquet on, you can get a similar effect with only lifting 20 pounds. Same amount of muscular gain, while using a much more sustainable weight.
The inability of blood to return to the heart causes a build up of lactic acid, which makes it much harder for the muscles to work. The difficulty for the muscle to activate is what leads to increased strength. It also leads to other systemic effects throughout the body, such as increasing insulin growth factor and growth hormone in the body which leads to increased muscle mass. When used in PT, patients are able to strengthen parts of their body much more quickly and efficiently, thus increasing the effectiveness of treatment sessions. Additionally, strengthening the right muscles is what leads to reduced pain, increased mobility, and recovery, which are end goals for most patients. For such a small device, it can lead to great gains, both literally and figuratively! Interested in how BFR may be able to help you? Schedule a complimentary consultation with me today!
*Disclaimer*: I only endorse the use of BFR by a trained professional and I strongly advise that it not be used without their guidance. Before the use of BFR please consult with a medical professional. This post is for educational purposes only. This is not intended to substitute for medical or physical therapy advice.
