Dexter, MO - Injury, age or poor physical condition can prevent you from gaining muscle mass.  Personalized blood flow restriction (PBFR) is a form of rehabilitation that increases strength with low intensity exercise that puts less stress on your joints.

How does it work?

A licensed and trained physical or occupational therapist places a cuff around your limb during exercise.  The cuff is attached to a compression pump (similar to that used to take blood pressure) that causes it to inflate, keeping the blood in the muscle and temporarily preventing its flow from the area.

A personalized pressure reading is performed to ensure safe training.  The amount of pressure applied will depend on your physical condition, strengthening needs and therapy goals.

A session can last anywhere from six to 30 minutes.  During that time, you will perform various exercises, including strength training and aerobic conditioning.

What are the benefits?

As your muscles relax and contract during the exercises, the device maintains constant pressure, enabling:

- Fewer exercise repetitions

- Use of lighter weights

- Enhanced muscle growth

- Overall strength gains

PBFR training may help:

- Increase muscle size (hypertrophy) and strength

- Improve cardiovascular capacity

- Decrease joint/tissue stress

Who are good candidates?

PBFR can expedite and bridge the gap between rehabilitation and recovery with training and performance.  It has been shown to be beneficial for:

- Athletes

- Individuals with limited or restricted mobility

- Post-operative rehabilitation patients or those dealing with pain issues

- Patients seeking pre-surgical strengthening

At Select Physical Therapy, we are proud to provide the care you need either in our centers or virtually via telerehab.  During these times, we are taking extensive preventative measures – guided by the CDC, state and local government – to protect you and our staff.  For in-center care we have screening protocols, hand hygiene, disinfecting and mask requirements in place.

Contact Select Physical Therapy to learn more  573-624-6405