Blood Flow Restriction.
What is blood flow restriction (BFR) therapy?
Blood flow Restriction involves the application of specialized blood pressure cuffs to the limbs during exercise.
How does blood flow restriction help?
By partially limiting the flow blood in our limbs using these cuffs, we can use low intensity exercise to signal to our body that high intensity exercise has been performed. This allows you to achieve similar results from low intensity exercise in situations where higher intensity isn’t able to be done. For more specifics on how BFR works and when it might be useful check out “An Intro to BFR” on our Performance BLOG.
When can blood flow restriction be beneficial for you?
Some great examples might include:
Athletes in competition phase
Post-operative
Osteoarthritic pain/load dependent pain
Post-Fracture
Book an assessment with a trained physiotherapist at our Dundas or Brantford clinic
Blood Flow Restriction
FAQs
Do I need to book for blood flow restriction?
No. Blood flow restriction therapy is considered a part of physiotherapy treatments on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in blood flow restriction therapy ask your physiotherapist about whether it might be right for you.
Does blood flow restriction work?
Yes. Blood flow restriction therapy has strong evidence to support it’s effectiveness at increasing muscle development at low loads.
Is blood flow restriction safe?
Yes, the evidence to date indicates that the risks associated with BFR are similar to that of undertaking a regular exercise routine. As with any clinical intervention, however, there are considerations that are made before deciding to use BFR with a particular client.