Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training
Blood flow restriction (BFR) training uses a cuff wrapped around your arm or leg to partly limit blood flow while you exercise with light weights, which helps you build strength when heavy lifting is not yet safe. Western Slope Rehab and Performance offers BFR therapy in Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade, Orchard Mesa, Appleton, Clifton and the Redlands.
Strength without heavy loads
After an injury or surgery, muscle weakens quickly, but the joint often cannot handle heavy lifting yet. Occlusion training, as BFR is also called, lets you exercise at roughly 30 percent of the normal load. The cuff reduces, without fully stopping, blood flow in the limb. The muscle works in a low-oxygen state, which produces many of the same effects as high-intensity training, including hormone release and cell swelling.
Less load means less stress on a healing joint or surgical site, so strengthening can start where traditional strengthening would not be appropriate yet.
Who we use it for
BFR after ACL surgery
The quadriceps often lose strength after ACL reconstruction. BFR can help rebuild them while the tissue is still healing. See Post-Surgical Rehab.
BFR after knee replacement and other surgery
Light-load strengthening when full-intensity training is not yet an option.
Long-lasting knee pain and arthritis
Pain often keeps people from the exercise that would help. BFR lets them get stronger with less load. See Knee Pain and Arthritis & Joint Pain.
After a brace or cast
Immobilization shrinks muscle. BFR can help restore strength and size once you are out of it.
Older adults and athletes
Seniors can build strength with lower loads and lower risk, and athletes can keep training through a Sports Injury Rehab.
Shoulder and hip
BFR can be used on arms and legs, so Shoulder Pain and Hip Pain recovery plans can include it.
PT-supervised, set for you
Your evaluation first
We take a full history and test your movement and strength before we decide whether BFR is right for you.
Pressure set per person
The cuff is similar to a blood pressure cuff. A device measures the pressure recommended for the limb being trained, so it is chosen for you instead of guessed.
What it feels like
A tight squeeze on the limb, and a muscle that tires fast on light weights. Your therapist watches you through every set.
Some people should skip BFR
Tell your therapist if you have any of these. BFR puts added stress on the heart and blood vessels, so we screen first.
- a history of blood clots or stroke
- vascular problems such as varicose veins
- high blood pressure, or heart disease
- diabetes
- an active infection
- pregnancy
If BFR is not a fit, we can still build strength with other Therapeutic Exercise.
BFR physical therapy near me
BFR is one part of a plan that also includes hands-on care, mobility work and strengthening. You can start without a referral from a doctor in most cases; see Direct Access and Insurance.
Related care
Rebuild strength in Grand Junction
Patients travel to WSRP from Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade, Orchard Mesa, Appleton, Clifton and the Redlands. You can start physical therapy without a referral from a doctor in most cases. Some insurance plans, including Medicare, still need a doctor's sign-off on the plan of care. If you are unsure, call (970) 314-9822 and we will check your plan. See Direct Access.
We see patients from Grand Junction and the surrounding Grand Valley: Fruita, Palisade, Orchard Mesa, Appleton, Clifton and the Redlands.