Is Blood Flow Restriction Training Right for You?

If you’re recovering from a sports injury

… Ask your sports physical therapist about blood flow restriction training.

… Enjoy the benefits of strength building and conditioning without the stress of heavy weightlifting.

… BFR training promotes muscle growth and rehabilitation safely, and faster results are possible.

Make the Most of Your Sports Rehab with Blood Flow Restriction Training

Have you heard of blood flow restriction training? This cutting-edge recovery technique has been adopted by sports physical therapists in Maryland and just about everywhere else. Even the National Football League and the U.S. Army use it now. It’s no wonder.

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training, sometimes called “tourniquet training” or “occlusion training,” aids muscle growth and recovery of soft tissues like ligaments and cartilage after an injury. It’s a very tech-savvy physical therapy treatment that gets impressive results.

If you’re recovering from a sports-related injury and are undergoing physical therapy as part of your rehabilitation, it’s worth it to learn more about blood flow restriction training. Ask your sports physical therapist if this modality would work for you.

How Blood Flow Restriction Training Works

One of your main goals during physical therapy is to build up muscle tissue and strength. Traditionally, you accomplish this with exercise and weightlifting. With BFR training, you can achieve the same results with less stress on your body.

BFR training is done by temporarily decreasing venous blood flow to injured tissue by using a tourniquet during exercise. This kind of restriction mimics the effects of weightlifting and tricks your body into thinking it’s working harder than it is. The reduced blood flow catalyzes metabolic stress and cellular swelling that strengthens and grows muscle.

The result? You develop stronger muscle tissue without putting your body through the stress of lifting heavy weights. You can build that muscle tissue easier and faster without risking further injury.

Why Blood Flow Restriction Training Is Beneficial Especially For Athletes

Physical therapy helps you regain and improve the function of an injured body part. You improve function by building strength and by implementing a variety of treatments to stimulate tissue healing. Blood flow restriction training helps you to achieve both strength building and tissue healing.

• Same Results Without The Stress -While athletes usually use exercise and weightlifting to build muscle, you don’t want to put undue stress on an injury. Combined with lighter exercise and weights, BFR training gives you the same results you would get from heavy weightlifting without endangering yourself or exacerbating an injury. You might even be more likely to follow through with physical therapy if you’re not doing all that extra work!
• Get Results Faster – A common problem after a sports injury is muscular atrophy in the injured limb. Your sports physical therapist will help you use exercise to restore your usual flexibility and strength but adding blood flow restriction training will get you the results you want faster.
• Build More Muscle – BFR training also can build up more of the right muscles to improve your athletic performance. “Type 1” muscle fibers rely on oxygen to contract, whereas more powerful “Type 2” fibers rely on blood. When your sports physical therapist uses BFR training during your rehab, they target those Type 2 muscle fibers and stimulate their development. These muscles are capable of more force and help you perform in your sport with more strength.
• Muscle and Tissue Repair – BFR training isn’t all about bulking up, however. This therapy also encourages higher levels of protein synthesis, which is necessary for muscle and tissue repair.

Blood flow restriction training is an excellent way to reduce the stress of physical therapy while achieving the results you need to return to your sport sooner. Its benefits are twofold. It helps you regain and improve your strength while healing your injury.

Think of it as your multitasking therapy that does more for you so you can do more.

True Sports Physical Therapy – Where Maryland Athletes Rehab

At True Sports, we’re sports-focused because you’re sports-focused. The best physical therapists in Baltimore and Maryland provide the highest level of sports physical therapy and expertise you need to get back to your sport. With six convenient state-of-the-art locations to choose from, any athlete who takes their rehab seriously can get awesome care and extraordinary results. Select your location and schedule an appointment and have True Sports get you back to your team. For questions about insurance or self-pay rates, please call our office at 1-401-946-1672.

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