Blood Flow Restriction Training Versus Standard Physical Therapy After Shoulder Stabilization Surgery

Blood Flow Restriction involves the application of a tourniquet to an extremity to partially restrict the arterial and venous blood flow to stimulate localized cellular and systemic hormonal changes that occur in high intensity exercise. BFR Training may produce similar cellular and muscular responses to cause hypertrophy when exercise is performed at low intensity. Studies have compared BFR therapy in the lower extremities with light load resistance exercise to light load resistance alone and observed greater improvements in the BFR group. A recent systematic review further identified that adding BFR to exercise effectively augments muscle strength and size. Additionally, BFR has been shown to be applied in a safe manner with low risk for complications. With this growing body of evidence supporting BFR, it is becoming increasingly common in rehabilitation

"Participants will be randomized into their assigned group of receiving standard therapy without BFR by a blinded therapist within the study using a computer generated randomization formula Participants will then visit the clinic for study testing at six weeks, 12 weeks, and six months after their surgery. During each of these visits, they will be asked to complete a survey, and then their shoulder strength and flexibility will be measured. Each study visit will last approximately 30 minutes. Participants will also attend 12-18 shoulder rehabilitation sessions in the clinic over six weeks from the six week to 12 week mark (about two to three sessions per week). Each rehabilitation session will last approximately 30 minutes and consist of standard rehabilitation exercises without BFR.~Between the 12-week follow-up and 6-month follow-up, participants will receive standard post-surgical rehabilitation for their specific shoulder surgery without Blood Flow Restriction training."