Blood flow restriction therapy is a recent “hot topic” in Physical Therapy. Blood flow restriction or BFR is a type of training technique that blocks blood flow to a muscle which, through cellular processes, creates protein metabolism and muscle hypertrophy or growth.
One of the greatest benefits to using BFR is the fact that one can achieve clinically significant strength improvements. These improvements are traditionally seen through high intensity/high volume training, but can be achieved with low intensity exercise when in combination with BFR. In the physical therapy world, this can be a useful tool for those who may be unable to tolerate high load, but require strengthening or stabilization to aid in pain reduction such as those suffering from chronic pain.
At this time, there are multiple different indications for using BFR in rehab such as post-operative recovery including knee replacement and ACL reconstruction. Blood flow restriction has even been shown to be beneficial in rock climbing! Rehab Specialists therapists are active in learning the evidence based research on BFR to be able to provide safe and effective treatment to their patients.
Additional Resources:
https://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=d3836fea-a074-4e3c-8ea4-dcb45b4234be%40sessionmgr101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=144916605&db=ccm
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Blood_Flow_Restriction_Training