People sidelined from weight training because of an overexerted muscle, recent surgery or underlying health condition might be candidates for a therapy option to help them build muscle without heavy weight training.
Physical therapists have developed a technique to allow people in those situations to still reap the benefits of lifting weight to build muscles. It’s called blood flow restriction training, or BFR.
“It’s a way to trick the body into thinking you’re doing heavy weight training when you’re not,” says Pam DiGiovanna, a physical therapist at Tidelands Health.
In general, you build muscle by stressing a part of your body enough to injure the muscle fibers, deplete them of oxygen and cause them to swell. Muscles are built during the recovery process. If you’re injured or aren’t able to exercise enough to reach the recovery process, BFR training may help.
At Tidelands Health Rehabilitation Services at Murrells Inlet, DiGiovanna uses a special device that looks similar to a blood pressure cuff for BFR training. The device fits around a patient’s arm or leg and inflates as the patient lifts light weights. This allows blood to still enter the muscle via arteries, but it isn’t able to leave via veins, giving you a similar benefit as if you were lifting heavy weights.
While doing BFR training, your therapist will control the pressure being exerted onto a muscle to avoid further injury while also ensuring you’re hitting a progressive level.
“BFR training is a great way to gain strength if you have an injury or are unable to lift heavy weight as you recover from a procedure,” DiGiovanna says. “Also, if it’s too painful to lift heavy weights, it’s a great way to get the benefits of heavy weight training without the associated pain.”
Though it can help people with certain medical conditions or be a good option for older adults, BFR is also a good option for people who exercise regularly and need to take a break without losing muscle mass.
“Blood flow restriction training is growing in popularity, but it’s not for everybody,” DiGiovanna says.
A Tidelands Health physical therapist can help you decide if BFR might be right for you. Call 1-866-TIDELANDS for more information.

Pam DiGiovanna
Physical Therapist at Tidelands Health Rehabilitation Services at Murrells Inlet
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Pam DiGiovanna has more than a decade of experience as a physical therapist and is certified in a variety of treatment techniques, including dry needling, kinesio tape method and the McKenzie method.
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Pam DiGiovanna
Call to Schedule
Pam DiGiovanna has more than a decade of experience as a physical therapist and is certified in a variety of treatment techniques, including dry needling, kinesio tape method and the McKenzie method.