Dec 5, 20183 takes on blood flow restriction (part 3)
More and more clinicians are learning about the benefits of blood flow restriction training (BFR) and its many applications. As a result, it’s clear that the future of BFR therapy and training is brighter than ever.
“I think in my opinion, BFR is one of the greatest innovations in the last two decades in terms of modalities used in the space,” says JoHan Wang, ATC, CSCS*D, SNS, Sports Science Advisor for RP Sports. “People need to be aware of the differences in technology and choose devices that are backed by science, safe, and effectively restrict blood flow without increased risk of occlusion.”
Johnny Owens, PT, founder of Owens Recovery Science, agrees. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years now, and this honestly has been one of the biggest game changers I’ve seen,” he says. “We hear that exact thing all the time from all of our providers — that this has changed the way they practice rehab.”
The need for more clinical trials and research is another area that both RP Sports and Owens Recovery Science support. “People are still learning how to use BFR. There are infinite possibilities, but at the end, it’s really through a lot of trial and error to figure out where exactly it fits into their rehab or performance continuum,” says Wang. “There are probably over 200 published studies in the area, which is significant because it proves its efficacy. But we still really don’t have a full grasp yet on its full potential.
“Utilize it according to your scope, but utilize it as a tool in your toolbox,” he continues. “It’s not the end all, be all. It’s just one piece of the puzzle.”