Compression has long played a role in the world of exercise recovery and physical therapy. Targeted Compression Therapy, scientifically known as Blood Flow Restriction training, originated first in Japan in the 1960’s. Over the last 60 years research into the benefits and mechanisms of targeted compression therapy (tct) to improve muscular health has grown rapidly.
Muscular health refers to the absence of pain or disease, and refers to the coordinative performance of muscle, bone, joints and the nervous system. At a functional level, this is influenced by muscle strength, neuromuscular function and flexibility. Muscle health plays a vital role in overall health & wellbeing, impacting everything from athletic performance, to daily activities like walking & sitting. Reduced muscular pain is linked to improved sleep quality [37] and stronger muscles could mean increased lifespan [16].
Stated muscular pains affect their ability to exercise.
Reported experiencing muscular pains once a month of more.
Targeted compression therapy is being accepted by American Medical Associations to achieve superior physiological adaptions compared to traditional recovery interventions [36].
Targeted compression therapy has been used in sports medicine clinics for the last 20+ years to relieve pain, strengthen muscles, and improve recovery. Researchers are successfully demonstrating that targeted compression therapy is an effective intervention for preventing falls, osteoporosis, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis: All of which are associated with age-related muscular loss.
Targeted compression therapy is an exercise technique where a compression garment is placed around the top of the limb(s) (like your arms or legs) to partially restrict blood flow during very low intensity and body weight exercise. The principle is that by limiting the blood flow, and thus available oxygen, your muscles experience stress similar to high intensity exercise, but with much less mechanical load on the body.
Here’s how it works: The compression garment slightly reduces the amount of blood that flows into your muscles and traps more blood in the muscle during exercise. This creates a situation where your muscles fatigue faster and work harder than they normally would with light exercise. As a result, your body responds by elevating your heart rate, building muscle and strength, similar to how it would with high intensity exercise. The amount of compression, time under compression, and exercise selection significantly vary the intensity of the therapy.
Immediate
Hypoalgesia is a medical term that refers to a decreased sensitivity to pain. Physical activity, especially at moderate to high intensity, triggers the release of endorphins which act as natural painkillers and mood enhancers which can induce a state of Hypoalgesia. This phenomenon is known as Exercise-Induced Hypoalgesia (EIH).
EIH can immediately relieve pain not just in exercised muscles but throughout the body. This is because when endorphins are released, they inhibit the transmission of pain signals in the nervous system. This inhibition occurs in the spinal cord and brain, where endorphins block the release of neurotransmitters that carry pain signals, effectively "dampening" the pain response. Many people have experienced this phenomenon during exercise warm-ups as endorphin release is closely linked to increased heart rate.
By simulating high-intensity exercise, using targeted compression therapy as a convenient pre-exercise intervention can quickly induce Hypoalgesia lasting up to several hours offering immediate and lasting relief from muscular pains [19]. By varying the intensity of targeted compression therapy varying levels of relief can be achieved.
A primary goal of Physical Therapy is improving muscle strength. This is likely because a primary modifiable factor of muscular pains is muscle strength. Strengthening muscles can reduce pain, particularly in conditions like osteoarthritis, by providing better support to joints. Stronger muscles also have higher load tolerances making them more resilient to injury and contribute to better circulation which supports faster recovery.
Targeted compression therapy stimulates muscle growth and strength without the need for high intensity exercise. In a single session targeted compression can offer immediate pain relief via EIH (discussed above) whilst strengthening muscles contributing to long term relief
Implemented as a passive post-exercise recovery tool similar to popular “pneumatic compression boots”, targeted compression therapy can be setup to cycle through a compression sequence: Compress, hold, decompress, repeat. During the decompress phase of a sequence oxygen rich and nutrient rich blood flow rushes into the muscles whilst simultaneously returning pushing deoxygenated blood out of the muscles back to the heart for reoxygenation carrying with it waste byproducts of exercise.
During any form of physical activity, especially cardio workouts like running or swimming, the heart pumps faster and harder to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the muscles.
Emotional stress or anxiety can cause the heart to work harder, increasing heart rate and blood pressure.
In hot conditions, the heart works harder to pump blood to the skin to help cool the body down.
At high altitudes, where oxygen levels are lower, the heart compensates by beating faster to supply enough oxygen to the body.
In summary, targeted compression therapy offers a safe and effective low-impact way to strengthen muscles, reduce inflammation, and promote healing, all of which contribute to effective pain relief, making it a valuable tool for managing pain conditions and improving physical durability. Choosing technology like Suji that personalize compression levels is essential.
While the idea that elevating your heart rate during targeted compression therapy can sound concerning, when done correctly, targeted compression therapy is generally safe for most people.
