Can I use B Strong if I have suffered a stroke?

Regular exercise is an important component of rehabilitation for patients with stokes (CVA’s). B Strong BFR is ideally suited to produce significant gains in function in patients who have had a stroke. This can have a dramatic effect on the individual’s activities of daily living. The result can have the patient be independent, as opposed to dependent on additional daily care. In particular, if the patient is hypertensive (has high blood pressure), their blood pressure should be medically controlled.

We have used B Strong BFR with several stroke patients and there have been many patients in Japan (using the predecessor of B Strong, Kaatsu) that have been helped by BFR training. To some extent, it depends on how “dense” (complete) the stroke is. The “denser” or more severe the stroke, the less chance of functional recovery.

Typically, what nerves (and motor pathways) have been killed, are dead, but there is a lot of recovery that can take place to get the individual functional again. Here are some areas where BFR training can help:

1. Strengthen the motor pathways/muscles that are still innervated.
2. Restore damaged, not dead, motor pathways to function.
3. Facilitate healthy neurons to take over the function of dead neurons.

The way we do this is first, put bands on both arms and perform exercises that are possible. These are normal exercises on the normal side and whatever is possible (e.g. just thinking about squeezing a ball in the affected hand or raising the affected arm). Then putting both leg bands on and doing whatever exercises are possible. Trying to walk with the bands on is great exercise. We have had remarkable improvement in the ability to get around. 

 

Our vision is for adult fitness done anywhere, anytime, on your own. For cases of patients with strokes, you should have a therapist direct the initial sessions.