BFR Therapy

Outdoor sports like tennis, pickleball, golf, and volleyball are back in the picture as we approach peak spring weather. With this in mind, we dove into the research on blood flow restriction (BFR) therapy and it’s effects for performance and pain relief. Recent studies support its use for almost any overhead athlete—amateur to pro—looking to improve their game, or simply to finally play without pain.

• What actually IS BFR therapy? Our BFR setup uses a cuff on your arm or leg which restricts a (safe and constantly monitored) percentage of blood flow to the limb. Once the cuff is calibrated to maintain the right pressure, your PT takes you through a series of low-load resistance exercises.
• Why? Low loads impose little strain on joints, ligaments and tendons, but the simultaneous blood flow restriction mimics the stimulus of heavier lifting and increases growth hormone levels, leading to increased muscle growth(1).
• Why now? Recent research specifically investigating the effects of BFR on upper limb strength and rehabilitation have found that use of BFR therapy can help increase strength of the lower AND upper arm(2), improve overhead athletes’ strength in in both individual muscles and compound movements(3), and leads to improvements in grip strength in both the cuffed AND uncuffed limb(2), implying systemic as well as localized benefits. In a recent case report, BFR therapy was used to successfully resolve tennis elbow pain(4).

Contact your therapist to discuss the addition of BFR to your Spring training routine for performance OR pain relief.

By Joanna Binney