Blood Flow Restriction

Blood flow restriction (BFR) is FDA-approved to be a safe and effective system that trained medical professionals can use to help patients improve muscle strength.

Request an Appointment
Find a Location
Ivy Rehab / Therapy Services / Physical Therapy / Blood Flow Restriction

What is blood flow restriction?

Blood Flow Restriction therapy has been around since 1966 but has recently gained a lot of popularity in the physical therapy community. There has been a recent surge in research supporting BFR, which began with military personnel returning home with traumatic injuries, and now is now widely use by colleges and professional athletes.

Blood flow restriction (BFR) is FDA-approved to be a safe and effective system that trained medical professionals can use to help patients improve muscle strength. It is done by using pneumatic tourniquet-like cuffs used to restrict blood to the limb. Doing so decreases the amount of blood that returns through the veins. This restriction of blood flow helps with muscle growth without placing excessive weight on the limb. BFR mimics the anaerobic environment of high-intensity exercise at 20-30% of a person’s 1 rep max. Request an appointment.

How does it work?

BFR uses specialized cuffs that are applied to a patient’s injured arm or leg. The cuff is then inflated to a specific pressure, based upon the patient’s arterial flow. Once blood flow is restricted, personalized strengthening exercises are performed at high repetitions and low weight. Request an appointment.

What are the benefits of BFR? Individualized services include:

  • Gain muscle
  • Improve muscle endurance
  • Increase muscle power
  • Faster return to function after injury
  • Prevent injury
  • Reduce recovery time

Who can benefit from BFR?

The risks associated with BFR are similar to the risks associated with general exercise, thus making it useful for a wide population, included but not limited to those seeking treatment for the following conditions:

  • Sport-specific training
  • Arthritis
  • Deconditioning
  • Post-op ACL
  • Fractures
  • Muscle sprains/strains
  • RTC surgery
  • Elbow tendonitis
  • Post-op total knee and hip replacements

Request an appointment today to see how one of our BFR-skilled physical therapists can help you!

Find the right therapy today.

Discover how Ivy Rehab can help you achieve your therapy goals.

Request an Appointment
Find a Location

Check out some of our 4 and 5 star reviews

Excellent4.8★★★★★ review us on ★★★★★ The team helped me go from crutching along on a severely sprained ankle to running a 9.3 mile obstacle course just three months later! Couldn’t have been more appreciative of the insight, support, and coaching they provided to help get me back to where I wanted to be. Big shoutout to the entire team for being so encouraging along the way.Response from the ownerIt’s great to hear this feedback! Thank you for taking the time to share your review! – The team at Ivy Rehab, Comstock Park! ★★★★★ Have had 2 kids have speech therapy at Leaps and Bounds. Have been extremely impressed with the therapists. Are very knowledgeable of different treatment methods and will suggest different ones that may be useful. Are very caring and provide open communication to keep you aware of progress. Have also been very helpful with any questions and coordination with therapy provided in school. Very happy with services provided and would highly recommend! ★★★★★ Great staff. Always seen on time for our appointments. We have seen a few different therapists as our first left on maternity left. But we have had a great experience with all of them!Response from the ownerThank you, Brianna! We love what we do! ★★★★★ I’ve been meaning to leave this review for awhile. This place is absolutely wonderful. The staff is so friendly front to back that I couldn’t recommend anyone else more for your needs. They helped our daughter heal with her broken leg even doing casting which helped calm her so much with the process and just worked with her every need. They are helping our son now with his OT needs and, much like his big sister did, he always looks forward to coming in. 100% recommend.Response from the ownerThank you so much for your positive feedback, it means the world to us! – The team at ABC Pediatric Therapy, Beavercreek ★★★★★ Both Mike and Michelle at Excel PT in Westfield were fantastic and helped me make a very speedy recovery from a stress fracture in my left tibia. Mike was extremely patient and thorough with all of my questions and took the time to understand the history of the injury and the exact nature of the pain I experienced before developing a very effective treatment plan to restore strength and function through all our PT sessions. I was extremely happy with the rapid progress I made and will highly recommend Mike and Excel PT in Westfield to anyone who is in need of a knowledgeable and caring physical therapist who is invested and focused on getting you back on the path to being well again! Thank you Mike and Michelle, you guys rock!!:)Response from the ownerThanks so much for your awesome review! We’re so happy to hear that you’re feeling better. We agree – Mike and Michelle rock! ★★★★★ I really like the IvyRehab Hoboken because it’s closer to my house. The staffs are very friendly and Skyla King is very kind and friendly physical therapist to stretch my shoulders, lightly exercised and restored my range of motion due to my calcific tendonitis on my left shoulder. It was a referral from my doctor. I highly recommend and definitely come back soon in the future.Response from the ownerThank you for your kind words; we appreciate your feedback! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Hoboken – Midtown ★★★★★ Thank you to the staff at Excel Physical Therapy at the Englewood Cliffs location where I had an excellent physical therapy experience! The location was very convenient with plenty of parking. It’s a very clean facility. Cesar is on point! I was dealing with plantar fasciitis and tennis elbow and Cesar was confident that I would recover and get back to my normal activities as well as be out of pain and discomfort. Whenever I had questions about the exercises or modalities, Cesar patiently explained and demonstrated in a knowledgeable, caring way. When discharged, Cesar sent me home with a maintenance plan that included stretching exercises, which have been a huge help. Thank you Cesar, Dan and Natalie!Response from the ownerThank you for your kind words; we appreciate your feedback! – The team at Excel Physical Therapy, Englewood Cliffs ★★★★★ I would highly recommend IvyChris and Amanda are wonderful, very knowledgeable and friendly.My shoulder and back are both feeling much better, this wouldn’t be possible without their help and guidanceResponse from the ownerThank you so much for your positive feedback, it means the world to us! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Caledonia ★★★★★ I have been to many other physical therapy offices in West Michigan and Chris is by far the most comprehensive therapist I’ve been to. A truly great experience!Response from the ownerThank you for your kind words; we appreciate your feedback! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Caledonia ★★★★★ Blue Bell is a nicely-equipped office, easy to reach, with expert, friendly therapists and staff. They make health care fun. My sessions are always enjoyable and effective.Response from the ownerWe value your feedback, thank you for your kind words! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Blue Bell – South ★★★★★ ABC Pediatrics has been amazing! They did a great job of assessing our child’s needs and recommending just the right therapy ( OT, PT and speech) for our child’s success both at home and at school. We have enjoyed participating in their community events and getting to mingle with other parents who share common struggles. We are amazed at how much more social our little one is since working with these therapists. Thank you ABC Pediatrics for supporting us through every milestone!Response from the ownerThank you for your kind review! ★★★★★ Dr. Steve is very accommodating when trying to fit me into the schedule on short notice. He is excellent at what he does. Great place with great staff. I highly recommend.Response from the ownerThank you so much for your positive feedback, it means the world to us! – The team at The Physical Therapy & Wellness Institute, Blue Bell! ★★★★★ I cannot say enough good things about my experience with Jamie Dills! I came in feeling pretty hopeless and finished feeling equipped to manage my issues and so much stronger and better informed. Everyone was kind and helpful at the front desk, as well. And Finn was an excellent greeter. Highly recommend to anyone!Response from the ownerThank you for sharing this with us! – The team at Ivy Rehab, Shelby! ★★★★★ We are more than thrilled with our OT and feeding therapist Becky Meeks, she has worked miracles with our son Agni Musipatla. She is the one and only. Agni can suck from a straw after 19 years and she is working on getting him to chew and I am sure he will do it with her help soon🙂🙂Patricia Gries the Physicak therapist is very awesome too, she works with him to follow directions and he is doing great.🙂Mike the Speech therapist is good, he has a lot of patience, he just started working with Agni, from what I have seen he is awesome. 🙂We have been referred by Marilyn, Sarah’s(pt) mom, she is a God send else we wouldn’t have known about ABCResponse from the ownerThank you so much Sunita! We agree – we have amazing therapists working to help children and families each day! ★★★★★ I had an issue with a ruptured tendon from my shoulder and bicep.The doctor at hospital said surgery for sure and talk to surgeon and he said could not guarantee nerve damage or complication so he recommended therapy.He recommended Ivy Therapy and have been going there for a few months and my shoulder feels great .They gave me a schedule to do on my days not there.The staff are very friendly, very helpful and very knowledgeable.The atmosphere there is always very happy people.I feel very welcomed when I go there.If you are looking for a great place to get therapy then you need to consider Ivy Rehab of Naperville.I highly recommend them to all that needs therapyResponse from the ownerThank you so much for sharing your thoughts, we appreciate you! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Naperville ★★★★★ I am incredibly satisfied with the care and attention I received at PTW. I worked primarily with Samantha for my month and a half long treatment for lower back pain. I am an avid weightlifter and I wanted a PT who was familiar with weightlifters and could get me back in the gym. Sam was able to help eliminate my back pain and learn new techniques to manage nerve pain all with the end goal in mind of getting me back into weightlifting form. Sam had a great plan in place in order for me to meet my goals and was able to address any questions or concerns I had during my journey.The CoVid-19 precautions that PTW had in place were outstanding! Everyone must wear masks at all times and the equipment is meticulously cleaned after every patient. Commonly used machines like the treadmill will have signs on them that say sanitized to let people know it has been cleaned before their use. PTW and the therapists are going above and beyond to make their patients feel comfortable during these CoVid-19 times. The number of patients in the facility will vary depending on the time of day but everyone has more than 6 feet between them. Most of the time it was just myself and Sam in the facility.I would definitely recommend PTW to anyone looking for a physical therapist. The care I received was incredible and I know if anything ever comes up I can go back to have my needs met. ★★★★★ I highly recommend Maximum Performance PT & Sports Rehabilitation. My neighbor recommended this wonderful place to me, and now I am recommending it to anyone who is interested in finding a high quality and professional PT experience. I was impressed with everyone, in particular, Paige, Hero, and Aaron. They explain everything and are happy and receptive in answering any questions or concerns you have. Michelle and Jessica at the front desk always smile when greeting you. I feel very comfortable here and so will you!Response from the ownerHi Barbara, thank you for your kind review. We are glad that you are having such a positive experience from front desk to physical therapists and PT aides. We are happy that you have enjoyed our care and are here to answer any future questions or concerns in regards to your ailments ! ★★★★★ Aaron and the team at Excel Westfield helped me and my back issue from the first visit. They paid close attention to the details of my condition, and always provided answers to my questions, which helped me build confidence and understanding in the direction of my treatment. Aaron provided expert care along with attentive and guided exercises. I am so thankful for the team and for the results of their work and efforts.Response from the ownerThank you so much for your positive feedback, it means the world to us! – The team at Excel Physical Therapy, Westfield ★★★★★ All staff and particularly Bekah is professional, knowledgeable, personable and enthusiastic. My wrist improved much with their help and I learned much better how to care for myself.Response from the ownerWe value your feedback, thank you for your kind words! – The team at Synergy Rehab and Wellness, Staunton ★★★★★ The PT’s are very knowledgeable as to what treatments are best for you. They are Very professional, such a nice place. PT attend to everyone with the upmost respect.Response from the ownerWe really appreciate you taking the time to leave us this 5-star review! – The team at Ivy Rehab, Barnegat ★★★★★ Ivy Rehab Conshohocken is a place that will truly get you back on track. You feel welcome from the moment you enter the clean, modern facility. Kathleen at the front desk always has a smile on her face and is very helpful in scheduling your appointments. Tyler and Adam, the DPT’s (Doctor of Physical Therapy) along with the entire staff are absolutely amazing, and their professionalism is top-notch. From the moment I walked in, I felt truly welcomed and at ease.Tyler and Adam are not only incredibly knowledgeable but also genuinely caring. They take the time to listen to your concerns and thoroughly explain the treatment plan. I never felt rushed during my sessions, and they always ensured that I understood the exercises and techniques being used.Response from the ownerIt’s great to hear this feedback! Thank you for taking the time to share your review! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Conshohocken js_loader