PATIENTS BENEFITTING FROM BFR TRAINING
Tito came to see us Spring of 2019 after his second anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Tito is a midfielder on the NCAA Division II Saint Anselm’s college lacrosse team. For the second time (he tore his left ACL in 2017) he had a non-contact injury and tore his right ACL. In a way, his timing was excellent, as we had just started offering Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) therapy at Balance. We were able to start utilizing the BFR tourniquet with low intensity exercise very early in the post-operative rehabilitation process. This early application of BFR can have a huge impact on the rehabilitation process. After injury, like an ACL tear, the body releases Myostatin, a chemical that promotes atrophy (muscle wasting) and fibrosis (scar tissue formation). The effect of this chemical combined with disuse creates so much atrophy, that after one year of rehabilitation, many athletes have not restored full strength or muscle girth (size) to their affected limb. By utilizing BFR, we can shut down the release of myostatin and promote the release of growth hormone and growth factors that stimulate repair and muscle protein synthesis. BFR is a very powerful tool. “BFR made a major difference in my ACL recovery. Compared to my other ACL recovery (in which I did not use BFR) I felt a major difference in my leg strength earlier on in the recovery process. The muscle mass on my leg was significantly more when using the BFR and allowed my recovery to progress at a faster rate than I could have imagined an ACL recovery to take.” Chris Pierce, Physical Therapist and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist worked with Tito through his early rehabilitation. “While I have rehabilitated hundreds of athletes after ACL reconstruction, I have never seen anyone restore strength and muscle mass as quickly as Tito did while using BFR and low intensity exercise. We were able to get him under the squat bar sooner than any of my previous high- level athletes after this surgery. He was pushing real weight with good form and symmetry without pain. This speaks both to Tito‘s high level of drive and the effectiveness of the BFR. Personalized BFR training is the game changer of game changers.“ BFR training is not for everyone. It requires hard work and high level of effort in combination with tolerance to significant discomfort. When you restrict bloodflow entirely out of the limb, you trap lactic acid in the muscles. Anyone who has lifted heavy weights knows what a muscle burn feels like. This burn quickly dissipates when completing an exercise. But with blood flow restriction the tourniquet is applied for 6 to 8 minutes, creating a sustained “muscle burn.“ Paul Godbout has been using BFR since his surgery to repair his quad tendon after he tore it playing in a rugby match for Amoskeag Rugby Club earlier this year. Within a week of his surgery and 2 weeks from his injury, Paul started low intensity quadricep and hip exercises with BFR. Though the road is long after this injury, BFR combined with Paul’s hard work minimized the early atrophy and allowed for him to accelerate his recovery significantly.
When asked to describe BFR, Paul Godbout explained it like this: “My knee and associated muscles feel great after the BFR treatment. It’s tough and uncomfortable while doing the BFR exercises, however the results are worth it. I’m months ahead of schedule.” Kathy Cortelyou, Physical Therapist and Sports Certified Specialist points to the very robust research supporting early use of BFR after injury and surgery to stop the body’s tendency to create scar tissue and to atrophy. “If we could get athletes old and young in our doors sooner after injury we could save themweeks and sometimes months of rehabilitation on the back end by implementing BFR.”
Call Balance Rehab at 603.890.8844 , or visit our website at balance-rehab.com to schedule your appointment today!
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