Blood flow restriction is a hot topic in the profession, and explorations of its potential benefits are expanding. Want to get the latest on where BFR may be headed? Join us July 23-24, when BFR expert Johnny Owens, PT, MPT, BS, delivers the next presentation in APTA's Centennial Lecture Series. CEUs are available for the event. 

Once a novel treatment, blood flow restriction, or BFR, has rapidly become a standard of practice across clinics, health care systems, and professional and collegiate sports. BFR involves the application of a tourniquet cuff to the proximal portion of an extremity to partially restrict arterial blood flow.  

It's a concept with research dating back to the 1930s with published and ongoing trials to validate its efficacy and safety. BFR is most commonly performed with exercise, and the most established benefit is adaptations in muscle quantity and quality.