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Blood Flow Restriction (BFR)

What is BFR?

Blood flow restriction or BFR rehabilitation is the brief and intermittent occlusion of venous (veins) blood flow using a tourniquet while exercising.

Using this technique, one can exercise with significantly lighter weights while still creating a growth response as well as strength response. This is unlike traditional exercises where to get these positive responses to exercise, you would have to load your muscles with a considerable amount of stress and therefore would likely be inappropriate for patients recuperating from injured tissues and joints.

The Centeno-Schultz Clinic has been utilizing blood flow restriction over the last number of years with significant benefit, and it may be a treatment path for you to consider. We have included some FAQs below to help give you additional information on the BFR application as we utilized it in our clinic.

How does it work?

The application of BFR training while working out leads to hormonal response that benefits the working muscles of the body. The BFR application utilizes this approach in fatiguing the muscle without damaging the muscle. The brain responds to the muscle working by releasing growth hormone from the pituitary gland, which also will generate a positive benefit through the body.

What are the applications of BFR?

Applications for the use of blood flow restriction are diverse, with some patients going through an application of BFR prior to their blood draw to help amplify their platelet count, along with utilization of the blood flow training post-injections to help maximize their healing factors to coincide with their injection-based therapies with the positions.

What BFR unit does Centeno-Schultz use?

The blood flow restriction unit that we employ at the Centeno-Schultz Clinic is the Delfi BFR unit, which is produced a Canadian-based company that is leading the industry and research drive applications of this treatment approach. Owens Recovery Science, led by Johnny Owens, a physical therapist, also has performed numerous studies and written many research articles showing the benefit of utilization of BFR in both pre- and post-injury applications.