Blood Flow Restriction Therapy

Physiotherapy Service

Blood flow restriction therapy, or BFRT for short, is a novel approach to rehabilitation and strength training.

It involves restricting blood flow to a specific area of the body during exercise using a special cuff that looks like a blood pressure cuff.

While this may sound counterintuitive, it has been shown to be a safe and effective way to increase muscle mass, strength and endurance, particularly in patients that are injured or have weak muscles.

Learn more about Blood Flow Restriction Therapy

How does the program work?

You will need to book a 45-min initial assessment with one of our physiotherapists.

Call 403 760 2897 ext 3 (physiotherapy line) to book.

1st session – initial assessment

During your first appointment, the physiotherapist will go over:

Screening questions to make sure it is safe for you to use BFRT;
Where to find the BFR equipment and help you to familiarize yourself with our gym space;
Your individualized training plan;
How to safely use the personalized tourniquet system so that you can perform your exercises independently at your subsequent sessions;
Your tracking sheet with your exercise program to complete at subsequent sessions.

During this session, the physiotherapist will also supervise your use of the BFR equipment for 1 full exercise session to ensure your proficiency with the equipment and answer any questions you may have.

Follow-Up sessions

If you feel comfortable and have been cleared by one of our physiotherapists to use the BFR equipment independently, you can view the equipment availability here.

When you are ready to book, please call 403 760 2897 ext 3 (physiotherapy line) to book your 30-min time slots.

If you would feel more comfortable having another supervised session, you can also book a physiotherapy follow up appointment.

Appointment Information

How much does it cost?

Your initial assessment with the physiotherapist, and any physiotherapy follow-ups, may be covered by third-party insurance providers (if applicable).

Each 30-min independent drop-in session for BFRT that includes gym and equipment access costs $20.

These sessions are not covered by third-party insurance providers, and thus the total cost will depend on the frequency and duration of your individual program.

Do I need a referral?

No, you do not need a referral.

You can directly access the program by booking an initial session with one of our physiotherapists.

If you are attending physiotherapy elsewhere, your physiotherapist may also refer you to our program for BFRT. However, you will still need to see one our physiotherapists for your first session to get the proper training to use the equipment and to design your exercise plan.

What do I need to bring?

If your area of concern/injury involves the lower body, please wear shorts or tight-fitting pants that do not have zippers or buttons around the upper thigh.

If your area of concern/injury involves the upper body, either wear a tank top or a tight-fitting long sleeve shirt.

Please also bring clean indoor running shoes as you will be using our gym facility.