#HealingHands

The Influence of Far-Infrared Radiation from the Human Hand on Fluid Flow

I'm going to show you a video that looks like I'm not doing anything..... but it's an exercise in paying attention to what is felt in the hand, which inevitably will be energy felt as mild heat, tingling, or even a density of awareness. We will practice this in the LVMT course in Malaysia in April, among other palpation exercises and then manual therapy techniques to influence fluid flow via lymphatic and visceral manual therapy.

The human hand emits far-infrared radiation (FIR), which has been shown to influence endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity, leading to increased nitric oxide (NO) production. This mechanism plays a crucial role in vascular health by promoting vasodilation and improving blood flow. In the following video, which looks like I'm not actually doing anything, it is a palpation sensory exercise that makes use of the FIR in the hand, and gives you an opportunity to improve your awareness of such heat, which might be perceived as a "density", or "tingling" in the hands, other than simple warmth. Sensing Radiant Energy and Tissue Changes

·       Start with your palpating hand some distance from the forearm and slowly move toward the forearm until you begin to feel radiant energy from the patient, usually sensed as heat.

·       Repeat the procedure several times with your eyes closed to see if you can consistently stop at the point where you first perceive the sensation.

·       Observe whether the distance at which you sense this energy remains consistent.

·       Continue moving toward the forearm until you are palpating the superficial hair. Move up and down over the forearm, attempting to sense what is happening under your hand.

·       Try to identify differences in sensation between the proximal forearm, distal forearm, wrist, and hand.

Being able to improve awareness of such sensitivity does go some way towards improving your awareness of what is happening in different parts of the body. You can pair this up with other palpation techniques, correlating what you find and forming a "library of correlation" in your clinical experience. I've used this process to change fluid in tissue and joints in real-time, as verified by changes in a) pain, b) limb circumference, and c) range of motion. The science tells us the following about the mechanism of FIR Influence on changes to tissue flow, via an increase in the enzyme endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity:

1. eNOS Phosphorylation:

   • FIR exposure leads to the phosphorylation of eNOS at serine 1179 (eNOS-Ser^1179), enhancing its enzymatic activity and increasing NO production. (Park et al., 2013)

2. Calcium Mobilization:

   • FIR radiation increases intracellular calcium levels, which activate calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). This activation phosphorylates eNOS, resulting in elevated NO synthesis. (Park et al., 2013)

3. Akt Pathway Activation:

   • FIR stimulates the Akt signaling pathway, leading to eNOS phosphorylation and subsequent NO production. This pathway contributes to improved endothelial function and vascular relaxation. (Kim et al., 2019)
     

Implications for Vascular Health:

Enhanced NO production due to FIR exposure results in vasodilation, improved blood flow, and overall better vascular function. These effects suggest potential therapeutic applications of FIR in managing cardiovascular conditions.The human hand primarily emits Far-Infrared Radiation (FIR).

Why the Human Hand Emits FIR:

1. Body Temperature:

   • The average human body temperature is approximately 37°C (98.6°F).(B., 2025)

   • According to Planck’s Law and Wien’s Displacement Law, objects at this temperature emit thermal radiation with a peak wavelength of approximately 9-10 micrometers (µm).

2. Wavelength Range:

   • Far-Infrared Radiation (FIR): 15 µm to 1 mm (Typically 3 µm to 1000 µm in some definitions) (Protection, 2006)

   • Near-Infrared Radiation (NIR): 0.7 µm to 1.4 µm

3. Peak Emission Range of the Human Body:

   • The human body, including the hand, emits infrared radiation primarily in the range of 7-14 µm, which falls within the FIR range.
     

Conclusion:

The FIR emitted by the human hand can positively influence eNOS activity, leading to increased NO production and improved vascular health. Understanding this mechanism highlights the potential benefits of FIR therapies in fluid flow management. References: B., D. (2025). Assuming human skin is at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, what wavelength is the peak in the human thermal radiation spectrum? What type of waves are these? Retrieved from https://socratic.org/questions/assuming-human-skin-is-at-98-6-degrees-farhenheit-what-wavelength-is-the-peak-in?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Kim, S., Lee, I., Song, H. J., Choi, S. J., Nagar, H., Kim, S. M., . . . Kim, C. S. (2019). Far-Infrared-Emitting Sericite Board Upregulates Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity through Increasing Biosynthesis of Tetrahydrobiopterin in Endothelial Cells. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2019, 1813282. doi:10.1155/2019/1813282

Park, J. H., Lee, S., Cho, D. H., Park, Y. M., Kang, D. H., & Jo, I. (2013). Far-infrared radiation acutely increases nitric oxide production by increasing Ca(2+) mobilization and Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-mediated phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase at serine 1179. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 436(4), 601-606. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.06.003