Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) therapy is a new and advanced method to boost energy and strength to the injured muscles.
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Understanding the BFR
Initially, it was originated in the 1960s in Japan to help injured military personnel. It has helped the military soldiers suffering from pain and weakness to enhance their muscle strength for lifting heavy weights and smooth movement activities.
Originally, a suffering soldier was found relieved of his pain due to damaged tissues. When the blood circulation was restricted, he was able to perform less intense exercises. He was found to have increased strength and boosted stamina. He had also put on heavy muscles without the wear and tear of already damaged muscles.
It has been revived with extensive research and evolved out of military health centers as an effective therapy for inactive muscles. It has benefited orthopedic patients, athletes, and older adults to bring back an enhanced and increased physical performance and overall health.
Studies have found that BFR is comfortable and safe for the ailing patient of all age groups. It is more beneficial and effective with proper equipment and supervision of a trained BFR professional. You can book for an appointment for your sports therapy using blood flow restriction with ReVITALize Rehab Club in Bixby Knolls, Long Beach, California, U.S.A. They provide advance orthopedic, holistic, and physical therapy to help you lead a painless and active healthy life.
They have highly experienced Board-Certified Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Specialists to diagnose you better. You can get a detailed insight of your injury, a dedicated and certified therapist, a personalized training plan, and a free follow session. They have helped many people to overcome injuries like a swollen spinal disc, severe fractures, damaged tissues and nerves, sprains, and strains.
What is BFR therapy?
BFR therapy is a method that reduces the blood flow to the injured part which is engaged in some specific exercise. It is achieved by using a pneumatic cuff which is like a blood pressure cuff. It may also include a surgical tourniquet system, certified and approved by the U.S. Food And Drug Administration.
Usually, BFR is used in gyms to help the bodybuilders lift light weights with tight belts around their waist or limbs. It increases their potential and builds huge muscles. It has also gained medical attention because of its effectiveness in providing strength to patients with muscular weakness.
What happens in the BFR training session?
In the BFR training session, the ailing person performs lightweight and specific exercises with a cuff or a tourniquet system around the injured muscles. The air is blown inside this cuff or system with a pumping device. After attaining a prescribed safe pressure, the patients can perform exercises and other specific movements with ease.
The cuff restricts venous blood outflow and maintains continuous arterial blood inflow. This limits the blood flow to the injured muscles and allows the patient to perform their exercises without stretching the injured muscles.
How does BFR therapy works? What are its benefits?
When you exercise with restricted blood flow, the flow of oxygen is also limited to the muscle cells. This helps in lifting light weights for an increased number of reps with less efforts and pains. It provides the same benefits of lifting heavyweights. It also protects the injured muscles and surgical body parts from stress and strains of weight lifts.
The reduced blood flow and limited oxygen prevent muscle contractions. It pumps your muscles to bulge out for increased strength and size. It provides muscle flexibility and masses.
BFR therapy can be useful to activate your injured and unused muscles. It is also beneficial to patients with recent surgeries and acute arthritis. It helps to energize and enable patients to carry out smooth movements, lifts weight, relieves ailing pains, and much more.
The advanced and evolving technologies have brought special devices approved by the U.S. FDA for BFR therapy training. They have interconnecting minicomputers that provide real-time blood pressure and cuff pressure with other safety precautions.
Overview of BFR therapy benefits to muscle recovery and healing patients
BFR therapy enhances your metabolism to expand your muscles. BFR training helps you to provide health benefits like:
1. Anabolic hormones are increased due to muscle stress during BFR training. It helps in gaining more muscle tissues for muscle recovery and muscle strength.
2. Normal and excessive numbers of blood vessels are generated to increase the oxygen supply to your swelling muscles. It further helps in mass muscle growth.
3. Increases heart rate to more nutrients and oxygen to the damaged muscle tissues to better and faster recovery.
4. Strengthens your bones and enhances bone density
5. Restores strength to injured and inactive muscles
6. Increase and sustain muscle contraction due to various diseases or accidental injuries
7. Decreases joint pains and retains muscular strength in aging adults
BFR training is generally opted for by peoples like
1. Patients having recent surgeries – Any surgeries like knee replacement can make your body muscles inactive for a longer time. It leads to rigid muscles. BFR therapy helps to gradually gain the strength and activeness of your unused muscles. It involves safe, easy, and painless specific exercises.
2. Injured Athletes – An injured athlete may stay out of sports activities and regular practicing sessions due to muscular sprains and strains. They may lose their strength and stamina. BFR training has helped many injured athletes to hit their exercise schedules during their injuries without any risk of disability or further muscle damages. It helped them to regain their muscle strengths quickly.
3. Arthritis patients – BFR therapy has help patients suffering from arthritis to perform some dedicated exercises. It has helped them to reduce muscular and joint pains. It has helped strengthen their legs to move smoothly and effectively without any pains.
BFR therapy cannot be used on some people under special medications like
1. Pregnant women
2. Wounded persons
3. Persons with Long genetically diseases
4. Persons with severely swollen veins or damaged vein walls
You can perform your BFR training with the help of such an advanced surgical tourniquet system. But it is also safe to take clinical training as a simple mistake can cause severe damage to your muscles and the device. You must perform BFR under the supervision of a trusted and trained BFR trainer.
