UPPER PENINSULA, Mich. (WJMN) – On this Aspirus Medical Monday, a new outpatient therapy that is now being offered at Aspirus Health is being highlighted. It’s called blood flow restriction training, also known as BFR, which helps individuals recover from an injury or surgery.
Aspirus Physical Therapists (and brothers) Blake and Beau Dupuis recently obtained their certification to offer this unique service. This certification allows Blake and Beau to intentionally apply blow flow restriction to maximally enhance rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions and enhance performances of athletes.
“The blood flow restriction training is basically a way for us to train with really lightweights and adapt like we’re using really heavy weights,” said Physical Therapist Blake Dupuis at Aspirus Health. “So basically, you put a fancy blood pressure cuff on your upper extremity or your lower extremity, and it’s going to restrict some of the blood flow, not all of it to the target muscle that we’re going after. And this sort of tricks your extremity that is working very hard in and can actually promote the same of muscular gains and strength. And then if we were going to be using really, really heavy weights, and it’s good for people who can’t tolerate heavy weights, so they got bad pain and they can’t, can’t tolerate lifting really heavy weights. We strap this blood pressure cuff around their leg or their arm that can use lighter weights and still adapt to that exercise. Like they’re using heavy weights.”
Blood Flow Restriction Training can be used to help patients with a variety of injuries including:
- Tennis Elbow
- Rotator Cuff injuries
- ACL and UCL injuries
- Ankle injuries
- Arthritis
- Hip injuries
- Thigh and hamstring injuries
“BFR is a great tool for athletes or individuals who have a specific injury like a tear in their ACL, meniscus, sprains and strains,” said Beau Dupuis, DPT, Physical Therapist. “During recovery from an injury or surgery, patients can face loss of muscle tissue. BFR uses low intensity resistance and places less stress on the injured area. This allows for the individual to start earlier rehabilitation and help prevent loss of muscle mass.”
BFR is also used to treat tendonitis, to provide general strengthening, and to help recover after surgery.
Aspirus Health currently offers free 15-minute consultations with any physical, occupational or speech therapist. Consultations allow individuals to have an area or problem examined and to discuss whether therapy may be beneficial.
Visit aspirus.org for more information on outpatient therapy. To schedule a consultation or appointment at Aspirus Outpatient Therapies in Calumet or Houghton, call 906-337-7000.