Tourniquet was first used in the 16th century in order to achieve adequate hemostasis. The name tourniquet (French 'tourner'), which means to turn, came into use thanks to Jean Louis Petit. Today, the main classification of tourniquets is into those of pneumatic and nonpneumatic type, and their clinical application is extensive, with special emphasis on the area of orthopedics, plastic and reconstructive surgery and anesthesiology. The physiological reaction of postocclusive local reactive hyperemia is regulated by neurovascular mechanisms, which, depending on the duration of occlusion, may have different systemic effects: cardiovascular, respiratory, cerebrovascular, hematological, metabolic, and thermoregulatory. In addition, it reflects the state of the microcirculation, and is often an indicator of peripheral vascular disease. First, thermoregulatory changes occur, in the form of increased skin surface temperature, which is followed, but not necessarily, by an increase in local blood flow. Methods of registering such changes are Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) and infrared thermography, which provide a highly precise view of distribution and temperature target zones of reactive hyperemia. This study has investigated the association between different durations of arterial occlusion, at an area of the upper arm, and the appearance of reactive hyperemia in the distal parts of the upper limb. Besides that, dynamical changes of oxygen saturation of peripheral arterial blood and blood pressure have been studied, having in mind the variability of observed microcirculation and regional anatomy. Also, differences between measured skin temperatures are shown using thermographic analysis. Previous studies have shown dynamic performances of reactive hyperemia only after a five-minute tourniquet duration on the upper limb, without comparisons with longer intervals.