Mike – Every brand of BFR is different, and we recommend that you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. The brand that Athletico has partnered with uses a narrow elastic band that cannot completely occlude arterial inflow even if pumped all the way up to 500 mmHg. This brand has various recommended starting pressures based on band size and limb. Other wide, rigid tourniquet cuff brands that are designed to occlude go off limb occlusion pressure, which requires a doppler and pulses.

Hello Rich, we’re so glad to hear Blood Flow Restriction is helping you!

I have chronic pain from old injuries and bone trauma, so there is atrophy and dysfunction of the left leg.

My doctors all just say I need PT, which honestly I neglected through the years.

This BFR technique has really helped me show gains.

I will say though that I am claustrophobic, and when that thing is firing and I am laying on my back doing quad sets / leg raises, I get really kinda anxious… but I make sure I get through the 8 minutes.

However, my standing exercises with the machine firing… shallow squats, calf raises, lunges … I don’t have that anxious or claustrophobic feeling.

This is the second 6 week PT regimen I am doing over the last year, both times, I look forward to pushing my body with the BFR, because I am seeing results!

Please feel free to fire off any questions to me.

Hi Marsha – Please call your physical therapist before your next appointment to discuss your response to BFR. Soreness and fatigue are desired responses, but significant swelling and difficulty walking are not appropriate responses. There are many different kinds of BFR (some narrow elastic bands vs other tourniquet devices), so without knowing which kind you had done, it is hard to make recommendations for adjusting BFR next treatment vs. avoiding it. Please also ask more questions of your PT around the home exercise program and the possibility of doing appropriate exercises at home to help meet your early post-op goals.

Thank you for your comment. For questions related to clinical practice in the state of Wisconsin, you can contact the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services.

Lori – Please let your physical therapist know about your symptoms so they can adjust pressure, modify the exercise being performed with BFR, or alter your treatment plan. BFR should cause soreness and fatigue but definitely not sharp pain.