What Is Blood Flow Restriction Treatment and When Do You Need It

Whether you received an injury or just want to support your overall health, you probably stay up-to-date with new athletic and physical therapy treatments. One such treatment is blood flow restriction training, which enhances recovery and strength building. As you search for physical therapy near me, you should know a few things about this type of training.

What Is Blood Flow Restriction Treatment

Blood flow restriction therapies use cuffs to curb blood flow to specific muscles. The bands restrict arterial flow into the muscles and prevent venous blood flow out of the muscle. They restrict the flow to give the muscles a more intense workout using lower intensity or weight. They directly target specific muscles and the restriction causes the muscles to tire more easily. The restriction constricts the oxygen flow to the muscles, so they work harder.

The purpose of this therapy is to get a solid workout and build muscle without lifting a lot of weight or completing high-intensity exercises. This therapy works well for those who have weight-bearing challenges or restrictions. BFR encourages your muscles to produce more of the hormones that build muscles.

Initial Injury Therapies

As you investigate your local physical therapy locations, you may find that most therapists use biofeedback, neuromuscular electrical stimulation and isometric exercises while your injury heals. This begins to strengthen your tissues. During later stages, your therapist may include resistance training, but this option is not an ideal therapy for early rehabilitation because of the load required to work out the muscle.

BFR allows you to use as low as 20% of your typical resistance. You can do repetition sets of as low as 15 and up to 30. Because the weight and resistance are so low, you prevent muscle atrophy and continue to build strength without further exacerbating your injury.

When is BFR Required

When you receive an injury, the muscles surrounding it can atrophy over time. This causes weakness and may encourage future injuries in the same or an adjacent area. However, when you have an injury, you shouldn’t put heavy weight on it or use it during intense workouts. This is especially critical during the early healing phases.

Athletes also use this therapy during their rest periods, when they take time off of their more intense strength and endurance training. This training keeps their muscles working hard without the risk of injuries caused by too much training or continually using heavy weights.

This therapy method allows your muscles to get a workout with little to no chance of further injury. This therapy also enhances hypertrophy and improves aerobic activity. Your muscles can gain strength while you recover. This therapy works well for knee pain, ACL surgery recovery, after immobilization and in geriatric physical training.

BFR Safety

Safety is always a concern with a new therapy. BFR does have minor, short-lived side effects. You may experience muscle soreness, numbness, bruising, petechial hemorrhages, skin abrasions and discomfort. If you have clotting or cardiac conditions, you should be cautious about this therapy. Also, you should work with well-trained staff at reputable clinics.

Although your physical therapy Hemet clinicians do not need specific national certifications, some states require specific training for BFR, so get informed about the therapy and its local requirements.