B3 BFR Bands for Tendon Health

Tendon injuries are one of the most common injuries, including tendonitis and occasional ruptures.

Tendons have limited blood supply and degenerate faster:

Unlike muscle tissue, tendons don't get a significant supply of blood. Blood delivers fluid and nutrients that are essential for maintaining tendon health, preventing injuries, and for healing after injuries occur. With advancing age, tendons become more prone to degeneration followed by injuries.

In addition to poor blood supply, the water content of tendons, decreases as we age. This makes the tissues stiffer and unable to tolerate stress.

Normal Treatment for Tendon Injuries includes:

•Stretching and flexibility exercises to help the tendon heal and avoid long-term pain.
•Strengthening exercises to help you rebuild tendon strength and avoid future injuries.
•Ultrasound heat therapy and other modalities can improve blood circulation, which may aid the healing process

BFR is changing the game on how we prevent and treat tendon injuries.

4 Reasons BFR should be considered by everyone who exercises:

  1. BFR replaces heavy weight lifting that commonly leads to tightening, micro-tearing, and rupture of tendons.
  2. BFR can reduce pain once tendonitis begins (see study below).
  3. BFR can strengthen tendons to strengthen and stimulate healing (see study below).
  4. BFR promotes Nitric Oxide (NOx) and HGH, two powerful substances that will increase blood flow, water and stimulate tendon collagen and tensile strength (see study below).


How does BFR stimulate NOx and improve blood flow in tendons?

When aerobic/slow twitch muscle fibers are exercised, they undergo hypoxia or reduced available oxygen. If this hypoxia is deep enough, the body releases NOx to help alleviate the hypoxia.

NOx vasodilates your blood vessels and thins the blood. This results in a big improvement of blood flow and oxygen to all tissues in the body, not just the working muscle.

Now the tendon has a healthy blood flow to carry more nutrients and oxygen to our tendons.

This leads to healthier, stronger, and faster healing in tendons.

Most people cannot exercise hard enough to stimulate this hypoxia and subsequent NOx. Rehab is also typically not vigorous enough to create a deep hypoxia. Thus, once you injure your tendon, you may be heading for chronic tendonitis

It is not uncommon for people with chronic tendonitis lasting years, to see complete elimination of tendonitis and pain after a BFR program.


How does BFR stimulate HGH to improve water and collagen content in tendons?

Water and collagen content in your tendons is dependent on your age and your Human Growth Hormone levels. Once we are into our mid 20’s HGH levels are dropping. By the time we are 40, we are experiencing 1/3 of the HGH from our teenager years.

Drop in natural HGH leads to most tissues in the body including tendons to hold less water and collagen. This results in tendons with less tensile strength. Imagine your tendons changing from a rubber band consistency to a saran wrap then eventually a wax paper consistency. Rubber bands are resilient, wax paper tears easily.

BFR is relatively easy to accomplish, and it stimulates higher levels of HGH. Over time your tendons are going to more flexible like a rubber band after consistency using BFR.

Achilles injury on running outdoors. Man holding Achilles tendon by hands close-up and suffering with pain. Sprain ligament or Achilles tendonitis.
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See BFR in action for rehab of common tendon injuries:

Rehab Shoulder with Dr. Mike
Rehab Wrist / Elbow with Dr. Mike
Rehab Knee / Quadriceps with Dr. Mike

Dr. Mike’s favorite easy and fun exercises to stimulate NOx and HGH

3 Minute Arms
4 Minute Legs

It makes sense to reduce training frequency with heavy weights and substitute BFR. By doing this, you may be saving yourself, other people, clients and patients from serious tendon injuries.

Looking for the Best BFR Bands for results and cost? Listen to what Rick Burkholder, Head ATC for the KC Chiefs has to say:

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BFR Studies