Clinical Applications of Blood Flow Restriction and Rehabilitation Outcomes

The study aims to evaluate the effect of low load resistance training combined with blood flow restriction or sham blood flow restriction in patients with anterior knee pain and rotator cuff related shoulder pain in a cross-over two-arm randomized, participant and assessor blinded design. More specifically, we aim to investigate the acute and short-term hypoalgesic response (by evaluating pressure pain detection thresholds) of low load exercise with blood flow restriction or sham blood flow restriction, the effect of these interventions in pain during clinical testing, and the possibility of a placebo effect.

Exercise-induced hypoalgesia describes an acute reduction in pain sensitivity following exercise.The hypoalgesic response following different types of exercise (aerobic, resistance) has been widely investigated. Preliminary evidence suggests that blood flow restriction training may decrease pain in patients with musculoskeletal conditions. This effect may result from exercise alone, or from blood flow restriction and exercise in combination. However, the possibility that the effects seen are the result of the placebo effect cannot be discounted. The evidence for the hypoalgesic response (improvement in pain perception) following training with blood flow restriction in anterior knee pain, shoulder pain, and general musculoskeletal conditions, as well as the mechanism of blood flow restriction training inducing acute pain reduction, is sparse.Hence, this study aims to evaluate the effect of low load resistance training combined with blood flow restriction or sham blood flow restriction in patients with anterior knee pain and rotator cuff related shoulder pain in a cross-over two-arm randomized, participant and assessor blinded design. More specifically, we aim to investigate the acute and short-term hypoalgesic response (by evaluating pressure pain detection thresholds) of low load exercise with blood flow restriction or sham blood flow restriction, the effect of these interventions in pain during clinical testing, and the possibility of a placebo effect.