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 therapy. 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. Blood flow restriction isn’t just therapeutic – in fact, research proves it helps strengthen muscles, using significantly less loads with similar outcomes.
At Global Physiotherapy, we are happy to say that we have special equipment to help assist in personal blood flow restriction (PBFR). Treatments are usually done during exercise, using personalized compression to restrict circulation in the affected area(s). This is done in order to promote hypertrophy (increase in muscle mass) and prevent disuse atrophy (decrease in muscle mass). If you are interested in learning more about our personal blood flow restriction equipment, and how it may benefit you, contact Global Physiotherapy today!
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 at 50-80% within the affected muscles. Research has proven the safety of this device.
Blood flow restriction is based on a popular theory that the treatments lead to a “local hypoxic event,” meaning the tissues in the affected area will be temporarily deprived of oxygen. While this may sound intimidating, the local hypoxia actually helps in accumulating more metabolites, in order to regulate 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 personalized blood flow restriction devices, such as the Personalized Tourniquet System (PTS) that we offer, you are actually able to 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
Blood Flow Restriction: FAQs
What is BFRT?
BFRT is the brief and intermittent occlusion of both arterial and venous blood flow using a tourniquet(s) while exercising at low intensities. Low intensity is 20-35% of one repetition maximum (RM) for the selected exercise. The American Physical Therapy Association approved BFRT for physiotherapists in 2018. Global Physiotherapy is the first clinic in East Edmonton and Sherwood Park offering this treatment.
What are the benefits of Blood Flow Restriction Therapy?
- Increase muscle strength – normal training takes 12-16 weeks to increase strength and muscle hypertrophy
- Increase muscle hypertrophy – can see a change with regular use of BFR in as little time as two weeks
- Improve cardiovascular function: walking, cycling
- Accomplish goals with lower loads than traditional strength training that requires 65 to 100% of one RM
- Prevent muscle atrophy during injury recovery
- Reduce sarcopenia – age related loss of muscle mass and function
Is Blood Flow Restriction Therapy Safe?
Studies have confirmed that BFRT is very safe. The incidence of injury during the reduced blood flow exercise is .01% in 12,000 cases. In the USA, BFRT is being used in professional and collegiate sport athletes and in rehabilitation.
Contraindications to BFRT
- Acidosis
- Cancer
- Extremities with dialysis port
- Excessive swelling in post surgical limb, often UE (i.e. lymphedema)
- Infection within extremity
- Increased intracranial pressure
- Impaired circulation
- Lymphedema (on limb)
- Open fracture/open wound
- Pregnancy
- Previous revascularization of limb
- Sickle cell anemia
- Severe hypertension
- Severe crush injury
- Vascular graft
- Venous thromboembolism
- Women who have had a mastectomy with or without radiation and/or
- an axillary node dissection. Avoid BFRT on the affected arm.
- People in hemodialysis who have arterial venous fistulas. Avoid BFRT
- exercise on the affected limb.
- Known clotting risk
How does BFRT work?
- Increased growth hormone 3X more than normal activity
- Increases growth hormone 2X more than high intensity interval exercise
The following summary of the benefits of growth hormone is from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/growth-hormone-athletic-performance-and-aging
GH acts on many tissues throughout the body. In children and adolescents, it stimulates the growth of bone and cartilage. In people of all ages, GH boosts protein production, promotes the utilization of fat, interferes with the action of insulin, and raises blood sugar levels. GH also raises levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).
Protocols in 2019 Literature review
- Prevention of Strength loss and Atrophy – passive BFR
- Aerobic – Cardiovascular improvement
- Enhanced muscle strength and hypertrophy – resisted exercise BFR
What type of tourniquet is used at Global Physiotherapy in Sherwood Park, AB?
Smart Tools Cuffs were selected because they are FDA listed. The size of the cuffs allows for lower pressures to accomplish the reduction of blood flow with less risk to the underlying tissue. The physiotherapist uses an ultrasonic doppler to determine the “limb occlusion pressure” (LOP). LOP is the pressure where your radial pulse at the wrist or the dorsalis pedis pulse or tibialis posterior pulse at the ankle disappears. The cuffs are applied to either the arms or the legs.
Examples of when BFRT can be added to your physiotherapy treatment program
- Cuffs alone without effort for passive maintenance of muscle
- Cuffs with electrical muscle stimulation
- Cuffs with isometric muscle effort – no motion involved
- Cuffs with body weight exercise or TRX to reduce body weight
- Cuffs with weights
Contact Global Physiotherapy for relief!
Request An Appointment At Our Sherwood Park, AB Physiotherapy Center
If you are recovering from an injury or surgery, and you are interested in the research proven benefits of our personal blood flow restriction (PBFR) equipment, don’t hesitate to contact us today. Our registered physiotherapists 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 form of rehabilitation following surgery. The compression device with PBFR itself measures the amount of pressure that is recommended for the affected area, in order for the patient to successfully execute each targeted exercise and 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 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 indicated. The result is accelerated recovery time, so you can get back to living your normal life as quickly as possible.
Contact Global Physiotherapy in Sherwood Park, AB today to schedule an appointment and get started on the path toward recovery, pain relief, increased strength, and overall functional improvement!