(Newswire.net — April 28, 2019) — Blood transports oxygen and other nutrients throughout a person’s body. The blood causes an erection in men while it also plays a role in women’s sexual function. However, sometimes, temporarily restricting the flow of blood is beneficial to a person’s health and well-being.
General Information About Treatments to Regulate Blood Flow
A commonly prescribed drug is a vasodilator. It widens a person’s arteries to encourage blood to flow freely throughout the body without interruption. Doctors prescribe this type of medication to patients with hypertension. Vasodilators are also used to treat angina and heart-related emergencies. Impotence medication relaxes the muscles located in the blood vessels. As a result, there’s an increased amount of blood flow that reaches the penis. On the other hand, researchers discovered that reducing the flow to a particular area is beneficial.
How Blood-Flow Restriction Therapy Works
During blood-flow restriction therapy (BRF), all blood isn’t cut off to an area. Instead, a trained professional applies pneumatic tourniquet-like cuffs to certain parts of the affected limb. A designated amount of pressure is applied based on the medical specialist’s evaluation. Typically, between 50 to 80 percent of blood flow is restricted to the area.
Using ultrasound technology, the doctor or other medical professional ensures blood is reaching the area during the treatment. However, the treatment stimulates the soft tissue by minimizing blood flow to the area. Additionally, it causes the body to release human growth hormone from the pituitary gland. This encourages growth on a cellular level in the muscles and bones, in particular.
Benefits of Blood-Flow Restriction Therapy
BFR helps a person gain muscle. It also assists in enhancing a person’s strength in that particular area. In addition, a specialist may use it to improve a person’s aerobic capacity. Often, BFR is used after surgery to optimize a patient’s recovery. It’s also used as part of a rehabilitation program after an injury or as part of training for some athletes.
BFR can be added to physical or exercise therapy. It actually reduces the amount of weight a person needs to lift to experience the same effect. In addition, it can reduce the amount of time it takes a person to recover. It can make exercise therapy more comfortable as well, so the person experiences less pain.
Throughout the years, researchers have determined there’s a benefit of altering the way blood flows throughout the body. By encouraging blood flow, men may satisfy themselves and their partners while regaining confidence. Restricting blood circulation, on the hand, may optimize treatment programs for injuries and issues that cause chronic pain.