What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

July 19, 2021

HBOT (Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy) is a medical treatment that exposes a person to increased atmospheric pressure from 1.1 to 1.5 atmospheres, which can also be expressed as 3 to 6 pounds per square inch. The increase in pressure allows more oxygen to reach the cells of the body, resulting in many healing and therapeutic benefits.

How Does Mild Hyperbaric Therapy Work?

1) Hyperoxygenation – By increasing the oxygen dissolved in the plasma (the liquid portion of the blood), the lymphatic fluid, and the cerebrospinal fluid, HBOT increases the oxygen available to damaged tissues, stimulating healing. It has same effects of Ozone therapy.

2) Neovascularization – HBOT stimulates blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) and collagen (connective tissue) formation in areas that were previously resistant due to lack of oxygen.

3) Hyperoxia enhanced antimicrobial activity – HBOT reduces or eliminates the effects of toxic substances, bacteria, viruses, and yeast by increasing the tissue oxygen levels.

4) Hyperoxia enhanced immune response – HBOT activates the white blood cells to fight infection, promoting resistance to infection, as well as wound healing. HBOT also helps to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. It is helpful as an additive to colonics for autoimmune disease.

From Wikipedia:

In chemistry, Henry’s law is a gas law that states that the amount of dissolved gas is proportional to its partial pressure in the gas phase. The proportionality factor is called the Henry’s law constant. It was formulated by the English chemist William Henry, who studied the topic in the early 19th century. In his publication about the quantity of gases absorbed by water, described the results of his experiments:

“water takes up, of gas condensed by one, two, or more additional atmospheres, a quantity which, ordinarily compressed, would be equal to twice, thrice, &c. the volume absorbed under the common pressure of the atmosphere.”

An example where Henry’s law is at play is in the depth-dependent dissolution of oxygen and nitrogen in the blood of underwater divers that changes during decompression, leading to decompression sickness. An everyday example is given by one’s experience with carbonated soft drinks, which contain dissolved carbon dioxide. Before opening, the gas above the drink in its container is almost pure carbon dioxide, at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure. After the bottle is opened, this gas escapes, moving the partial pressure of carbon dioxide above the liquid to be much lower, resulting in degassing as the dissolved carbon dioxide comes out of solution.

Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is Capable of Providing Relief to the Following:

Acute Acoustic Trauma
Lyme Disease
Acute and Chronic Anemia
Macular Degeneration
Acute and Chronic Arterial Insufficiency
Migraines
AIDS
Multiple Sclerosis
ALS “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”
Mycoplasma
Alzheimers
Neurovascular Compression
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Parkinson’s Disease
Candida and Fungal Infections
Peripheral Nerve Injury
Cerebral Edema
Neuropathies
Osteoporosis
Cerebral Palsy
PeripheralVascularDisorder
Chemical Poisoning
Post Surgical instability
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Rehabilitative Care
Colitis
Retintis Pigmentosa
Crohn’s Disease
RSD
Demyelination
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Diabetes
Sacroiliac Syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Sceloderma
Fracture Repair
Silicone Induced Disoders
Gastric and Duodenal Ulcers
Spinal Cord Injury
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Spider Bite
Headaches
Stroke
Heart Attack
Surgery Healing, Pre and Post
Hypoxic Birth Disorders
Traumatic Brain Injury
Hypoxic Induced Epilepsy
Vegetative Coma
Inflammation
Wound Healing
Inflammatory Arthritis

All persons using or buying a chamber are required to have a referral from an MD, ND, OD, chiropractor, or acupuncturist. A health care professional can screen you and ensure that mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy is right for you.

Contraindications & Side Effects:

Mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy is painless and non-invasive, with possible minor, mild side effects. Please be aware that one possible side effect that may occur at the beginning and/or end of treatment (during compression and decompression) is a sensation of fullness in your ears, which can be alleviated by yawning. The sensation is very similar to taking-off and landing in an airplane. For those who may be claustrophobic, we suggest bringing an iPod/iPad to provide a distraction. Our chamber is light, and bright, and has two windows for your comfort.

While high-pressure oxygen therapy entails managing the safety risk of using 100% oxygen and the possibility of oxygen toxicity, mild HBOT offers the same physiological benefits with only minor, temporary potential side effects, which may include barotrauma (temporary ear pain), mild sinus discomfort, and temporary myopia (nearsightedness) rarely. In addition, the risk of seizure from oxygen toxicity is a risk related to pressures typically greater than 2.0 ATA and is unheard of below 1.5 ATA (ours runs below this level).

Please Note the Following Contraindications and Drug Interactions to Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy:

Congenital Spherocytosis
COPD/Emphysema with air trapping
Untreated Pneumothorax
Upper Respiratory Infections—URIs can make it difficult for the patient to clear his/her ears, which can result in inflammation of sinuses, or sinus squeeze.

If you are Currently Taking Any of the Following Medications, then Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy should be avoided:

Cisplatin—a chemotherapy agent
Disulfiram (Antabuse®)—an oral tablet used to treat chronic alcoholism
Doxorubicin (Adriamycin®)—a chemotherapy agent
Mafenide Acetate (Sulfamylon®)—a topical cream used to prevent and treat bacterial or fungal infections