Blood Flow Restriction Training

Improving muscular strength is an important goal of physical therapy. Symptoms such as pain and stiffness are common road blocks to building strength when recovering from injury.

A new, cutting-edge treatment called Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFRT) has been found to improve muscular strength even in the presence of pain and other limiting symptoms. BFRT involves the application of a specialized tourniquet system to partially occlude blood flow to the injured limb. Light exercise is then performed for 5-10 minutes. Under this hypoxic (no oxygen) environment, large, fast twitch muscle fibers are recruited. This allows patients to make greater strength gains while lifting lighter loads, thereby reducing the overall stress placed on muscles and joints. BFRT is a proven treatment that allows patients to safely improve strength while recovering from an injury.

Blood Flow Restriction Training is used for athletes and non-athletes alike. Whether you are recovering from a sports injury or suffering from arthritic pain, BFRT can help you build strength and get back to the activities you love.

Benefits from Blood Flow Restriction Training at SporTherapy?

Other benefits of Blood Flow Restriction Training include:

Increase muscle size, strength, and activation
Increase VO2max
Decrease scar tissue and pain
Increase collagen synthesis for tendons, cartilage, and bone
Reduce post-surgical atrophy
Increase anti-clotting factors

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Frequently Asked Questions

We recommend budgeting 40-60 minutes for a typical therapy session. The only exception to this will be your first visit, which can take about 20 minutes longer due to the physical therapy evaluation your therapist will provide. We also recommend showing up about 10-15 minutes early to your first visit. This way, you can complete the paperwork before your visit time and streamline the process.
A physical therapy visit lasts about 40-60 minutes. The actual contents of the visit vary based on your diagnosis/need, but typically what happens is:
1. You check in with the receptionist, make any appointments necessary, and we discuss your health insurance benefits with you.
2. You go into the gym. You can change clothes if you need to, then begin therapy.
3. You perform 6-8 various exercises and stretches. These can include therapeutic band exercises, light body weight exercises, or minimal weights. The stretches will promote strength, stability, improved range of motion, and pain relief.
4. We can initiate other techniques to include manual work, taping, cupping, and dry needling as needed.
5. The therapist makes recommendations based on your progress. These can include altering the frequency of visits, making additions/alterations to your home exercise plan, or things to do before your next visit.
If we are asking you to do something that is hurting too much, let us know! Physical therapy should not be severely painful. It is not common to be so sore that patients are in pain or it affects their daily life. If this ever happens during or after an appointment, let us know and we will adapt your program.
During your initial evaluation, your therapist may ask you a number of questions to determine what the cause of your pain is. This can include questions about your sleep habits, activity level, and work environment. They will also ask for a medical history, and then typically ask direct questions about where and when you experience pain.

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