Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training in Chattanooga: Build Strength With Less Joint Stress
Blood flow restriction training in Chattanooga from MOTiV is for people recovering from an injury or surgery who cannot lift heavy yet and want to keep building strength, so you can train with minimal joint stress during recovery. A cuff limits blood flow to the working arm or leg while you lift light weights, and Storm Wilson, PT, DPT, OCS guides each session. The price is not published yet.
- Price
- Included in all sessionsNo separate BFR charge
- Session
- Selected exercises within your care plan
- Who it is for
- People in rehab who need strength work but cannot load heavy yet
- How to book
- Call (423) 668-0406 or send a note from the contact page.
What is blood flow restriction training?
Blood flow restriction training is strength training with a cuff on the working limb that limits blood flow to the muscle, so light weights give it more of a training stimulus than the same light weights alone.
A 2019 review in Frontiers in Physiology defines it as "partially restricting arterial inflow and fully restricting venous outflow in working musculature during exercise." It recommends loads between 20 and 40% of your one-rep max, because that range "has consistently produced muscle adaptations."
At MOTiV, a sensor finds your upper occlusion pressure (UOP). Storm sets the working pressure at 80% of UOP for the lower body and 60% for the upper body, rather than using the same pressure for everyone.
At MOTiV, Storm Wilson, PT, DPT, OCS guides the sessions. MOTiV lists the service on Google as: BFR training to build strength and muscle with minimal joint stress during recovery. BFR sits within MOTiV's sports medicine and rehab services.
Storm uses specialized cuffs during selected exercises after a health and exercise-readiness screening. He monitors comfort and response throughout the session and adjusts exercise and pressure as needed.
Who is BFR training for?
Storm uses BFR to load sensitive tissue early in care when heavier exercise is not appropriate. He also uses it during a deload phase after competition.
His examples include muscle tears and overuse injuries, as well as recovery after surgery. The aim is to keep some loading in the plan while working toward normal loading again.
Situations where it is worth asking Storm about:
- A muscle tear makes heavier exercise difficult to tolerate.
- A joint flares when you load it heavy, but light weights feel fine.
- You are a lifter or runner who wants to keep training a limb while an injury settles.
BFR is one tool inside a plan. Discuss it at a physical therapy evaluation with Storm at $150.
Is BFR training safe?
A 2019 review describes the risk of serious side effects as very low and recommends screening for blood clot risk first. Very low is not zero, so screening comes before the first session.
The 2019 review describes the risk of rhabdomyolysis, a serious breakdown of muscle tissue, as very low: 0.07 to 0.2%. It recommends that clinicians use established rules to assess blood clot risk before applying BFR to people at risk.
Before your first session, tell Storm about:
- Any history of blood clots, or a family history of them
- Recent surgery or a recent long period of immobility
- Circulation problems, high blood pressure or heart conditions
- Pregnancy
What to expect during and after
Expect the cuff to feel tight. Stop and tell Storm if you get numbness, tingling or pain that does not ease when the cuff comes off.
Storm reviews your health and exercise readiness before applying the cuffs. He is certified in personalized blood flow restriction rehabilitation.
What does BFR training cost at MOTiV, and where is it?
BFR is included in all sessions, with no separate BFR charge. A physical therapy evaluation is $150 and a follow-up is $125.
Sessions happen at MOTiV, inside Be Strong at 2101 Chestnut St unit 113, Chattanooga, TN 37408. Free parking lot and street parking. Being inside a full gym means the light BFR sets and your regular training can sit in the same plan. See MOTiV's published prices.
"It allows us to take people who are load intolerant and then load them to help the tissue adapt."
Before you book
What do people ask about BFR training?
Can blood flow restriction training help with knee pain?
It may be an option. BFR lets you strengthen the muscles around a painful knee with light weights, and a 2019 review in Frontiers in Physiology says it can be used when heavy resistance training is not advisable, such as after surgery. Whether it suits your knee depends on what is causing the pain, which is what a physical therapy evaluation sorts out.
How often should I do BFR training?
Two to three sessions a week, according to a 2019 review in Frontiers in Physiology. The review calls 2 to 3 sessions per week ideal, with more frequent sessions used only for short periods of 1 to 3 weeks.
Who should not do BFR training?
Anyone with a raised risk of blood clots should not start BFR without a clinician weighing that risk first. The 2019 review recommends screening for blood clot (venous thromboembolism) risk before BFR, so tell Storm about any history of clots, recent surgery or circulation problems.
Is BFR training worth adding to rehab, or is regular strength work enough?
It depends on whether you can load heavy yet. A 2019 review in Frontiers in Physiology found BFR more effective than light-load training alone and suited to times when heavy resistance training is not advisable, such as rehab after surgery. If heavy lifting is already comfortable, ask Storm whether BFR adds anything for you.
Source: Patterson et al., Frontiers in Physiology, 2019 (applications)
What usually goes with BFR training?
Now booking founding clients
Get stronger while you heal.
Call, or send a short note and tell Storm what is holding you back. You will hear back about the right first visit.
(423) 668-04062101 Chestnut St unit 113, Chattanooga, TN 37408Inside Be Strong