46 Comments
User's avatar
Moe's avatar

Nice! Something we can do at home that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, nor scary risks (for the majority).

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Don's avatar
Aug 24Edited

Have there been any reports of blood clots forming from stopping blood flow?

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Curious Outlier's avatar

Not in normal healthy folks. I will be doing a frequently ask questions in the next article on this subject. I will be covering that question more in detail. Peripheral vascular disease a x hypercoagulability disorders an are the biggest problem.

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Msalman's avatar

Great to know. Do you know of any additional risks for people who have internal hardware from past broken bones etc?

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Curious Outlier's avatar

No risks.

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Don's avatar

Thank you! Been waiting . . . 😀

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Tony Leveling's avatar

Interesting post. I have been using Kaatsu bfr bands for a couple of years now. See https://kaatsu.com/ for more information. Thank you for all you’ve done!!!

PS: The web address has loads of testimonials, the history of bfr by an early developer, and general information about benefits.

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Julissa's avatar

Wow, never heard of these. Went to the site and that's pretty pricey! Will have to read up on them. Thanks for mentioning this

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Curious Outlier's avatar

A simple blood pressure cuff will work for this procedure. About $16 on Amazon.

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Julissa's avatar

I see that those cuffs are for use while training. I'm more interested in doing the RIC method. Thanks so much

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Ross S's avatar

Okay, I didn’t understand what this process is supposed to do?!?! I read the article twice. Am I missing something? It’s supposed to have some kind of benefit, but what exactly? What’s it good for? Sorry, but that part seemed glossed over.

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Mary L.'s avatar

Any concern with a slight headache afterwards? Hopefully it’s just doing what it’s supposed to. 🙏

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Curious Outlier's avatar

Here is something to consider. And maybe it would help eliminate that issue with the headache.

When using a blood pressure cuff for remote ischemic conditioning, you don’t necessarily need to inflate it to the maximum 200 mmHg.

The general guideline is to inflate the cuff about 50 mmHg higher than your usual systolic blood pressure. For example, if your normal blood pressure is around 120/80, with a systolic pressure of 120, you would inflate the cuff to about 170 mmHg and maintain that pressure for the five-minute period of each set.

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Curious Outlier's avatar

It may be lowering your blood pressure. Creating some vasodilation which can cause slight headache.

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Mary L.'s avatar

I really appreciate you taking the time to consider and respond! Blessings to you and for the valve you bring to others!

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Cris Hamilton's avatar

Is there a cuff that is available on Amazon? What exactly am I looking for and how would I know if the cuff is capable of maintaining the 200mmHg?

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Curious Outlier's avatar

This is the one I bought and it works fine. Dixie EMS Deluxe Aneroid... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RY3ASUS?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

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rtko's avatar

5 minutes compressed followed by 5 minutes free 5 times a day - and then everyday or do folks take a break here and there?

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Curious Outlier's avatar

You can take a break here and there. The benefits of a session will last for a time. A clear comparison can be made between exercise and remote ischemic conditioning (RIC): just as short breaks from regular exercise don’t result in an immediate loss of all gained benefits, short breaks in RIC do not instantly erase its protective or rehabilitative effects.

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Joe Noonan Deeper Into Nature's avatar

Great info, thank you! Any pros and cons of using either the manual or automatic blood pressure cuff?

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Curious Outlier's avatar

I think it's unlikely that you'll be able to find an automatic blood pressure cuff that will remain inflated and hold 200 mmHg. If you find one for a reasonable price please let me know.

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Joe Noonan Deeper Into Nature's avatar

Thank you for your reply, and a BIG thank you for all the work and research you share with us 🙏🏽🔥🤙🏽

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Curious Outlier's avatar

Glad to do it. More to come.

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Chris Busck's avatar

Thank you.

1. Is this something that one would need to keep doing 7 days a week indefinitely, or could it be done for say two weeks on and two weeks off and still get much of the benefits?

2. What would your answer be if it was interspersed with vigorous up and down hill walking for one hour a day?

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Curious Outlier's avatar

There are many biochemicals that play here so I'm not sure about the timing for each one of those but here's a basic rundown of what is known.

The protective effect of remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) can last for up to around two weeks, with evidence suggesting the effect persists for one week after cessation of a two-week RIC regimen, but most published studies identify benefit windows ranging from hours up to about 14 days depending on regimen and outcome measured.

RIC Benefit Windows

Immediate (acute) phase: Neuroprotection begins immediately after RIC and can last for about 2 hours.

Delayed phase: A protective effect is observed about 24 hours post-conditioning and can persist for 2–3 days.

Prolonged phase: In animal models and limited clinical settings, daily RIC for two weeks resulted in increased cerebral blood flow, which persisted for one week after stopping RIC, indicating a maximum observed window of roughly 21 days (14 days of RIC plus 7 days post-intervention).

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Joó Ádám's avatar

Dear Doctor, so we have to constantly balance the pressure, for example manually?!

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Curious Outlier's avatar

For doing this procedure, you would need to pump up the manual blood pressure cuff to 200 mmHG and leave it there for five minutes and after the five minutes, you would release the cuff pressure. After waiting five minutes, you would pump it up again. Five sets with five minute breaks in between. I do it every day. It's easy. I actually do it while I'm driving to work. Not recommended if you haven't had some practice. ☺️

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Nagy Sándor's avatar

Joe: "Great info, thank you! Any pros and cons of using either the manual or automatic blood pressure cuff?"

Dr.:"I think it's unlikely that you'll be able to find an automatic blood pressure cuff that will remain inflated and hold 200 mmHg. If you find one for a reasonable price please let me know."

I referred to this answer in my question! : )

A solution could be, for example:

https://www.temu.com/goods.html?_bg_fs=1&goods_id=601100107157846&parent_order_sn=PO-090-09481436295030175&add_order=1&sku_id=17594756358440&_x_msgid=90-20250908-01-B-906956163144601600-427-FGdkQsr5&_x_src=mail&refer_page_name=bgt_order_detail&refer_page_id=10045_1757285523475_fmlx09z3sn&refer_page_sn=10045&_x_sessn_id=u6haagbp50

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Curious Outlier's avatar

I can't click on that. I'm not sure but if it will hold the cuff at the pressure for five minutes then it should be fine.

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Nagy Sándor's avatar

Hyper Recovery BFR Training Cuffs for Arms & Legs - Blood Flow Restriction Bands with Adjustable Pressure 0-300mmHg...

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Brian Kelly's avatar

Taking your blood pressure for 5 times has some sort of medical benefit??!!

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Curious Outlier's avatar

You don't take your blood pressure five times. You pump the cuff up to 200 mmHg and leave it on with the pressure at 200 mmHg for five minutes. You then take a five minute break and after you take the five minute break you repeat the cycle. You do five sets. Read the first article and you'll see what the incredible benefits are

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Brian Kelly's avatar

Ok, thanks. I will

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Brian Kelly's avatar

Very interesting article and approach to improving health and fitness. It sounds gentler then lifting weights which I do 3 or 4 times a week. Would it be an issue for those who have microvascular issues like retinopathy.

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Curious Outlier's avatar

Should be helpful for retinopathy.

Here is a query on the subject. Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) involves brief, controlled limb ischemia to trigger protective effects in distant organs, including the retina[1][6][7]. In animal studies, daily RIC was shown to slow blood-retinal barrier damage, boost retinal function, and support key antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, as well as improve outcomes in diabetic retinopathy models[2][4][3][9]. These results suggest that RIC could be a promising non-invasive approach for retinal health and protection.

Human evidence is still emerging, but current clinical trials are assessing the safety and effectiveness of RIC for retinal diseases such as non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy[5][8]. RIC is generally considered safe and simple, though more data are needed to confirm its benefits in clinical practice[1][7]. For in-depth information, see these sources: ScienceDirect[1], PubMed[2][4], Aging and Disease[3], ClinicalTrials.gov[8], and ClinConnect[5].

Preferences: concise, science-backed, with direct links for reference at the end.

Sources

[1] Remote ischemic conditioning slows blood-retinal barrier damage in ... https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006899324005079

[2] Remote ischemic conditioning slows blood-retinal barrier damage in ... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39332618/

[3] Remote Ischemic Conditioning Protects Diabetic Retinopathy in ... https://www.aginganddisease.org/EN/10.14336/AD.2018.0711

[4] Remote Ischemic Conditioning Protects Diabetic Retinopathy in ... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30574423/

[5] Remote Ischemic Conditioning for Non-Proliferative - ClinConnect https://clinconnect.io/trials/NCT06713720

[6] Remote Ischemic Conditioning - Medical Clinical Policy Bulletins https://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/800_899/0814.html

[7] Remote ischemic conditioning: a promising therapeutic intervention ... https://www.aging-us.com/article/101527/text

[8] Changes in the Diameter of Retinal Vessels After Remote Ischemic ... https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02898480

[9] Ischemic conditioning protects the rat retina in an experimental ... https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014488612004232

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Julissa's avatar

Your work is so awesome.

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Curious Outlier's avatar

Thanks! It's for all of you. 🙏🏻

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Eveline's avatar

Very interesting, will try this. I’m generally healthy (60 yo female) but have irregular heart beat, probably related to Menopause. Is it still safe for me to do RIC? Thank you!!

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Curious Outlier's avatar

Could possibly be related to sub optimal magnesium levels. Do you regularly take a bioavailable form of magnesium?

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Eveline's avatar

I’m taking magnesium daily. So would you say I can do the RIC despite the (sometimes) irregular heartbeat? I’m not on any meds and take CDS daily.

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Moe's avatar

It's not taking your blood pressure. Read the whole protocol.

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Aaron's avatar

Is this safe for those with pelvic venous disease? Specifically iliac vein compression.

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Curious Outlier's avatar

Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC), when performed on the arm, is generally regarded as a safe intervention for a wide range of populations due to its non-invasive, transient, and localized nature. Clinical trials and systematic reviews have not specifically reported unique safety issues in patients with peripheral or systemic vascular diseases when RIC is performed on the arm—as opposed to the affected region itself—since the procedure does not involve direct manipulation or increased pressure in the pelvic or lower limb veins.

However, there is currently no direct clinical evidence specifically reporting the use, safety, or risks of RIC in patients with pelvic venous disorders or iliac vein compression (also known as May-Thurner syndrome).

RIC is typically implemented using a blood pressure cuff on the upper limb to induce brief, controlled periods of arterial occlusion and reperfusion. This results in neurohormonal and vascular protective effects that are systemic rather than local to the lower pelvis.

Based on current evidence and mechanistic understanding, transient ischemia in the arm would not be expected to exacerbate iliac vein compression or worsen pelvic venous disease, since it does not involve increasing intra-abdominal or pelvic venous pressures, nor does it manipulate the venous return from the lower body.

There is no published clinical research specifically addressing RIC safety in individuals with known pelvic venous disease or iliac vein compression, so assumptions are based on physiological reasoning and general safety data from other vascular conditions.

As with any vascular intervention, patients with severe vascular compromise, clotting disorders, or uncontrolled hypertension should consult their physician before using

RIC, even if only performed on the arm.

• If you have a hypercoagulable state or a history of recent thrombosis in any location, discuss RIC with your specialist, as individual risks may vary.

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Aaron's avatar

Thank you so much for all that you do! This is really good info!

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