Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbarics is a technology that involves increasing the air pressure in the environment. When breathing 100% pure oxygen in this environment, extra amounts of oxygen are absorbed into the body, and the organs and tissues of the body are then super-saturated with that oxygen. This oxygen can reach areas of the body that circulation is damaged, limited to, or even normally unable to reach, such as after a blood clot to the brain (stroke) or after musculoskeletal injury. Because oxygen is the major energy source of every cell in our body, HBOT can be benefcial for many conditions, including but not limited to musculoskeletal injuries, fatigue, pre and post surgery, stroke, brain injuries, wound healing, autism, anemia, cognitive issues and disorders, chronic pathogens such as Lyme, immune system issues, insomnia, mood issues, and more.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Get the Facts

Mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy, such as is offered here in our office, has an extremely good safety record. HBOT can be used for all ages. It yields wonderful results for children, elderly, and everyone in between. HBOT is FDA-approved to treat 14 conditions. All other conditions are considered off-label. The absolute contraindication to use is a collapsed lung (pneumothorax). Relative contraindications include current severe lung or heart disease, uncontrolled diabetes, current upper respiratory or sinus infection or sinusitis, and pregnancy, simply due to a lack of research on the safety of HBOT use during pregnancy. Side effects are very minimal and are mainly comprised of ear discomfort during the pressurization period, which can be alleviated with a slower rate of pressurization and clearing the inner ears, and claustrophobia. The chamber is quite comfortable and spacious, and we therefore find that most patients, even those with claustrophobia, do well in our mild hyperbaric oxygen chamber.

Conditions for which hyperbaric chambers are cleared for marketing by the FDA

FDA clearance of a medical device includes a determination that the device has the same intended use as, and is as safe and effective as, another legally U.S.-marketed device of that type. As of July 2021, the FDA has cleared hyperbaric chambers for the following disorders:

• Air and gas bubbles in blood vessels

• Anemia

• Burns

• Carbon monoxide poisoning

• Crush injury

• Decompression sickness (diving risk)

• Gas gangrene

• Hearing loss (complete hearing loss that occurs suddenly and without any known cause)

• Infection of the skin and bone

• Radiation injury

• Skin graft flap at risk of tissue death

• Vision loss (when sudden and painless in one eye due to blockage of blood flow)

• Wounds (non-healing, diabetic foot ulcers)

HBOT is being studied for other conditions, including COVID-19. There are many current research studies both published and in process, which we offer links to in our 'Research' page.