Blood Flow Restriction West Bloomfield, MI

Blood Flow Restriction at the Sports Club Physical Therapy of West Bloomfield

Are you recovering from an injury? If so, you may be a candidate for blood flow restriction, or BFR, 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, BFR treatments can actually pose several benefits, especially in athletes. Our expert uses BFR during exercise, using compression to restrict circulation in the affected area(s). This promotes hypertrophy (increase in muscle mass) and prevents disuse atrophy (decrease in muscle mass). Contact The Sports Club Physical Therapy for more info 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.

BFR 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.

Additional physiological responses to blood flow restriction include:

  • Increased anabolic growth factors
  • Fast-twitch fiber recruitment
  • Muscle fiber synthesis
  • Heat shock proteins
  • Nitric oxide synthase
  • Decreased expression of myostatin

Will blood flow restriction benefit me?

At your initial appointment, Brad Oppat, your West Bloomfield physical therapist will conduct a physical evaluation, analysis of medical history, and discussion of symptoms, in order to determine if BFR will be the best course of treatment for you.

Blood flow restriction can treat almost any upper-body or lower-body injury. It’s also a form of post-op therapy.

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. After treatment, muscle soreness may occur for the next day or two, and “limb fatigue” may occur for 20-30 minutes but should disappear shortly.

Contact The Sports Club Physical Therapy today:

If you’re recovering from an injury or surgery, don’t wait!

Contact our West Bloomfield physical therapy office today. Our licensed physical therapist is highly trained in performing this treatment. Brad would love to discuss how it may benefit you personally! Get started on the path toward pain relief, increased strength, and overall functional improvement!