Blood Flow Restriction
Recover Faster with Blood Flow Restriction
Are you recovering from an injury or surgical procedure? If so, you may be a candidate for blood flow restriction treatments. This may seem counterintuitive – you might ask yourself, “Why would I want to restrict my blood flow? Isn’t it good for blood to circulate?” While these are valid points, blood flow restriction treatments can actually pose several benefits, especially in athletes and/or those recovering from surgical procedures or injury. Blood flow restriction isn’t just therapeutic – in fact, research proves it helps strengthen muscles, using significantly less loads with similar outcomes.
At Orthopedic Sports Therapy, we are happy to say that we have special equipment to use blood flow restriction (BFR) with our patients. Treatments are usually done during exercise, using compression cuffs to restrict circulation in the affected area(s). This is done in order to promote hypertrophy (increase in muscle mass), building new muscle tissue at lower loads. If you are interested in learning more about our blood flow restriction treatments, and how it may benefit you, contact Orthopedic Sports Therapy in Ahwatukee, Biltmore or Tempe, AZ.
How exactly does blood flow restriction work?
The compression devices used during blood flow restriction treatments are similar to blood pressure cuffs. The pressure created by these compression devices is high enough to occlude blood flow by 50-80% to the affected muscles. Multiple research studies have proven the safety and efficacy of this device in a wide variety of patients and applications.
Blood flow restriction is based on the well-researched theory that the treatments lead to a “local hypoxic event,” meaning the tissues in the affected area temporarily receive less oxygen than normal. While this may sound intimidating, the local hypoxia and reduced blood flow lead to an accumulation of more metabolites. This enhances the body’s anabolic response system (also known as the way in which the body gains muscle protein) during exercise. Essentially, restricting the blood flow in the affected area helps to build more muscle protein.
With blood flow restriction cuffs that we use at Orthopedic Sports Therapy we can safely regulate the amount of tourniquet pressure for your specific needs. According to the Owens Recovery Science website, personalized blood flow restriction comes with several benefits, including but not limited to:
- Diminishing atrophy and loss of strength from disuse and non-weight bearing after injuries
- Increasing strength with only 30% loads
- Increasing hypertrophy with only 30% loads
- Improving muscle endurance in 1/3 the time
- Improving muscle protein synthesis in the elderly
- Improving strength and hypertrophy after surgery
- Improving muscle activation
- Increasing growth hormone responses
Contact us for relief!
If you are recovering from an injury or surgery, and you are interested in the research proven benefits of blood flow restriction (BFR), don’t hesitate to contact us today. Our licensed physical therapists are highly trained in how blood flow restriction works, and they would love to discuss how it may benefit you personally.
Blood flow restriction has been known to treat almost any upper or lower body injury, and it can also be used as a part of rehabilitation following surgery. The compression device we use with BFR measures the amount of pressure that is recommended for the affected area, in order for the patient to gain the desired effects.
When performing the exercises, the intended goal of blood flow restriction is to tire out the affected area in order to stimulate the body’s natural healing and tissue-building processes. This process uses approximately 30% of the normal required loads with the same desired benefits. This significant reduction in required load is less stress on any joint or surgical site, thus allowing strengthening to occur where traditional strengthening would not be possible. The result is accelerated recovery time, so you can get back to living your normal life as quickly as possible.
Contact Orthopedic Sports Therapy in Ahwatukee, Biltmore or Tempe, AZ today to schedule an appointment and get started on the path toward recovery, pain relief, increased strength, and overall functional improvement!
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