conditions we help

Skin, as the most readily visible organ of the body, is one of the first to let us know that we are getting older. Our skin goes beyond appearance; it protects our internal organs from bacteria, fungus, viruses, toxic chemicals, and various other harmful agents. Studies show that HBOT can significantly modulate the pathophysiological aging effects on the skin of healthy aging adults. This includes a significant increase in collagen production, elastic fibers in the skin increased in length and reduced fragmentation for healthier, more youthful looking skin.

Open fractures with significant soft tissue injury are associated with high rates of complications, such as non-union, infection, chronic pain and disability. Complications often require further inpatient care, and in many cases, multiple operations, and prolonged rehabilitation. Use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as an adjunct to standard orthopedic trauma care has the potential to reduce the complications of musculoskeletal injury and thus improve outcomes. Studies show the upregulation of osteoblast as well as vascularization along with the extreme reduction or obliteration of ischemic reperfusion injury the post-surgery healing time can be reduced by 35% as well as adding to bone density.

Over the past few years many have developed chronic symptoms from disease such as Covid, including fatigue, cough, pain, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, heart palpitations, digestive problems, neurological issues such as brain fog, headaches, trouble sleeping, depression and anxiety.  Multiple recent studies show that breathing in concentrated oxygen under pressure raises the amount of oxygen that dissolves in the blood, meaning that more oxygen gets delivered throughout the body’s tissues. This can boost the power of the immune system and stimulate the release of stem cells and substances called growth factors, which help tissues heal. Those receiving the treatment reported improved energy levels, sleep, and cognitive function, and decreased depression. Likewise, the extent to which pain interfered with their life dropped.

HBOT is well described as being effective when applied as either a primary or complementary therapy in the treatment of infections. Due to the hyperoxic conditions induced by HBOT, several physiological and biochemical alterations happen, which stimulate the antimicrobial effects that can increase or improve treatment. HBOT has bactericidal/bacteriostatic effects against both aerobic, and principally anaerobic, bacteria. Hyperbaric’s promotes the healing of infections by three main mechanisms including direct bacteriostatic or bactericidal effects, enhancement of the immune system, antimicrobial effects, and additive or synergistic effects with certain antibiotics. HBOT is a useful approach in the treatment of some infections, especially in deep and recalcitrant infections such as necrotising fasciitis , osteomyelitis and chronic soft tissue infections . The benefit of using Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as a treatment for urinary tract infections, meningitis and staphylococcus aureus are well known.

Chronic Fatigue can be caused by the body’s Red Blood Cells not effectively reaching the micro-circulatory system and completing the “Krebb’s Cycle” normal to all life. This deprives the cells of oxygen, and accumulated waste lactates produce the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can help relieve the cellular hypoxia that is a feature of chronic fatigue syndrome. Additionally, oxygen in the plasma may oxidize the substance responsible for the syndrome as well. 

A stroke is a “brain attack”. It occurs when blood flow to an area of brain is cut off. The deficiency of oxygen in stroke causes neuronal malnourishment and subsequent dysfunction. Hyperbaric Oxygen has been shown to reverse hypoxia for brain tissue in stroke patients and can help stroke patients recover.  First, by the relief of Hypoxia. The damage to neurons that accompanies ischemia is repairable if the associated hypoxia is corrected. The only way to do that is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy because it bypasses the normal way oxygen is transported via red blood cells. Second, by the improvement of Micro-Circulation. Oxygen Therapy improves micro-circulation even in damaged areas, and it creates angiogenesis, or growth of new capillaries to restore brain function.

When injured, the brain has a systemic inflammatory response that impacts a much larger area surrounding the injury. Flooding the brain with oxygen reduces swelling and opens new neuronal pathways. When the body and brain are infused with massive amounts of oxygen during hyperbaric treatment, damaged brain cells known as “idling neurons” can literally wake up and return to normal function.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has been shown to help those suffering from the effects of a Concussion including reducing brain inflammation, repairing damaged tissue, jump starting idling neurons and creating new neuronal pathways through angiogenesis. While time to treatment is critical, HBOT has been shown to be helpful months to years after the acute injury. 

Medical research studies demonstrate that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can play an important role in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. HBOT has been shown to be help balance an overactive immune system balancer. It can provide a much greater quality of life for disease such  as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s. This therapy is beginning to be widely used in neurodegenerative conditions, particularly movement disorders. Overall, patients tend to show significant improvement after hyperbaric oxygenation therapy.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy decreases inflammation, oxygenates the entire body, stimulates the growth of new healthy blood vessels, and releases stem cells (up to 800% more) after 20 sessions. Research suggests that HBOT can improve neurological outcomes by increasing enzymes in the body that protect cells and prevent neuronal damage. It has also been shown to decrease depression, anxiety, and tremors in patients with Parkinson’s Disease. In one study Hyperbaric Oxygenation (HBOT) was used for the treatment of 64 patients suffering from Parkinsonism of different etiology. HBOT sessions were provided daily, 20 per course, the treatment pressure amounted to 1.3-2 atm exposure to 40-60 minutes. The beneficial effect was marked in 55 patients.

The gut lining is very similar to collagen and all the connective tissue in our body.  Studies show that HBOT upregulates collagen all connective tissue production by approx. 30%. Likewise, studies also show a similar benefit for wound healing in the gut. According to multiple studies, most participants with Crohn’s disease had clinical improvements using HBOT, while virtually all patients with ulcerative colitis improved. This included a significant decrease in proinflammatory Cytokines (IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha) and in ulcerative colitis reported a decrease in IL-6.

Studies show that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can increase Cognition in Adults. The main areas of improvement included better attention, increased information processing speed, and improvement of executive function, in addition to the global cognitive function. In addition to cognitive changes, it improved cerebral blood flow in specific brain locations.

Approx (85%) of Dementia is related to Hypoxia (low oxygen levels) in the Brain. Recent revolutionary Research Studies indicate that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can actually reverse the pathology of Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, help to increase cognition and may correct behavioral deficits associated with various forms of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Several studies have been published showing the safety and tremendous benefit of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in the treatment of PTSD. One example is a study published in MEDICAL GAS RESEARCH in which researchers enrolled 29 active duty or retired military personnel suffering with PTSD. Following completion of all treatments, half (52%) of the subjects who initially met the PTSD Checklist-Military (PCL-M) for diagnosis no longer met the threshold criteria; the average reduction was 18.8 points in PCL-M. The authors write how this reduction is one of the greatest in PTSD symptoms in a 4-week period with ‘any reported treatment.’ Before and after HBOT, the researchers evaluated symptoms list, physical exam, neuropsychological and psychological tests, and SPECT brain imaging. At 6 months results showed that compared to the controls, the treatment group had a significantly improved SPECT scan after 1 and 40 treatments. Seventy-five percent of the initially abnormal areas in the treated group became indistinguishable from controls.

This chronic pain syndrome can be accompanied by – and perhaps related to, other physical and mental conditions that include fatigue, cognitive impairment, irritable bowel syndrome and sleep disturbance. Clinical studies involving those diagnosed with fibromyalgia showed the painful condition improved in the majority of those who completed two months of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

A study conducted by Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Shamir Medical Center in Israel found that “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can improve heart functionality in healthy aging humans.” As a part of the study, a group of people were made to undergo 60 sessions of HBOT. Their cognitive function and heart function were evaluated before the start of the study and after 3 weeks into the study. The researchers were able to find a sustained effect of the treatment, “an improvement in contractility function of the heart – meaning, the heart muscle contracted more efficiently over the course of the 60-session protocol.” Another study in rats showed that HBOT can reduce necrosis (tissue death) during myocardial ischemia. (Myocardial Ischemia is a condition when less amount of blood flows into the heart, most likely due to some blockage in the veins.) HBOT has shown improvement in redox control and reduces the mortality rate in the acute phase of heart attacks.

While not a primary treatment, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can be used as an adjunctive treatment along with primary therapies including Chemotherapy or Radiation. Most cancer cells require a hypoxic environment to replicate. Cancer cells have an altered metabolism and no longer depend upon oxygen. In fact, high oxygenated environments are toxic to most cancer cells and both slows their growth and triggers cell death mechanisms within them.

Bone is slow growing and slow repairing and can lack the blood flow to provide sufficient oxygen needed for repair.  As Hyperbaric oxygen therapy circumvents the normal process that oxygen is delivered, it has been shown to increase the creation of collagen, a material that fills the space between broken bones. HBOT also increases the growth of capillaries in affected areas, which helps bring nutrients to the bones. Hyperbaric oxygen increases the production of osteoblasts, cells vital for bone growth and healing as well as the removal of old dead bone. Studies show daily exposure to HBOT accelerated the rate of osteoblast differentiation as determined by increased alkaline phosphatase activity and expression of type I collagen and Runx-2 mRNA during the early stages of culture. It also augmented bone nodule formation in hypoxic conditions. 

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is also used as an adjunctive therapy for treating Lyme Disease. The Lyme disease bacterium is “anaerobic,” which means that it cannot exist in high oxygen environment. By increasing oxygen levels within your body, treatment has been shown to push the disease Spirochetes into the blood plasma where HBOT can assist in a reduction of the harmful bacteria.

Protocols of using HBOT has been shown to significantly improved disturbed renal hemodynamics, major markers of kidney function in plasma (creatinine, urea and phosphate) as well as antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) activities in erythrocytes after. Also, studies show that using HBOT as preconditioning decreased lipid peroxidation in plasma after ischemic acute kidney injury.

There have been numerous reports, medical studies, and clinical data to support the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for a vast number of liver diseases; namely, acute liver injury, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, liver transplantation, fibrosis and cancer, especially for hepatic artery thrombosis. Review of the current literature tell us that HBOT can have a powerful effect on promoting liver regeneration. In terms of liver diseases, it seems that the key physiological benefits of HBOT are in its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory role, helping to provide protection for damaged liver tissue. The combination of extra protection (though antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support) and enhanced regeneration, make HBOT a potentially valuable tool for many liver diseases.

Hypoxia causes a cascade of activity from the level of the individual down to the regulation and function of the cell nucleus. Prolonged periods of low oxygen tension are a core feature of several disease states. Advances in the study of molecular biology have begun to bridge the gap between the cellular response to hypoxia and physiology. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a treatment for hypoxic- and inflammatory-driven conditions, in which patients are treated with high dose oxygen at pressures greater than atmospheric pressure. When hypoxia leads to disease, the first thought that comes to mind is to provide more oxygen to the patient to alleviate the oxygen deficit. However, it is important to consider how much oxygen reaches the hypoxic tissues. Using Dalton’s and Henry’s laws, we can see that the physiologic effect of HBOT alters the concentration of oxygen in the plasma and assists hemoglobin to achieve full oxygen-carrying capacity. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy facilities more than 200 times the amount of oxygen to reach cells in the body – helping to reverse hypoxia.

The administration of HBOT in the setting of Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning produces robust results. Utilizing high dose oxygen at pressures greater than atmospheric, the half-life of carboxyhemoglobin can be reduced to only 20 minutes as opposed to 5 hours. The higher partial pressure of oxygen involved in HBOT allows oxygen to more rapidly titrate the CO from the hemoglobin, therefore alleviating the oxygen and energy deficits that the body experiences. A faster reversal agent for CO poisoning correlates with less sequelae. 

Hyperbaric oxygen is also extremely beneficial in the treatment of smoke inhalation and cyanide poisoning. The treatment reverses the effects of such chemicals by assisting oxygenation when the lungs are damaged. 

In addition to being proven to alleviate symptoms of asthma, Hyperbaric Oxygen creates long term change by modifying gene expression – inflammatory genes can be switched off, while  genes related to growth and repair are switched back on.

There is an increasing body of evidence showing hyperbaric oxygens safety and efficacy in retinal artery occlusion, cystoid macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion, scleral thinning and necrosis faced after pterygium surgery, orbital rhino-cerebral Mucor mycosis, nonhealing corneal edema, and anterior segment ischemia. Its potential to treat macular degeneration, and blinding disease has also been demonstrated in recent studies.

Hyperbaric oxygenation could improve cerebral circulation, provide the brain with more oxygen, and reduce edema. Hyperbaric oxygen could also promote the energy metabolism of cerebral cells and improve the recovery of epileptic foci. In one study on childhood epilepsy the following were the results. Curative Effect: The treatment was found effective in 82 patients (82%), significantly effective in 68 patients (68%). It showed that the seizures greatly diminished, and the EEG was improved. Forty-three patients had stopped anticonvulsant medication, while in other patients the amount of antiepileptic was decreased. After hyperbaric oxygenation treatment, 82 patients’ intelligence, personality, and mentalities were improved; 51 children studied very well; 10 primary and 4 secondary epilepsy children had no change after being treated 30 times. Electroencephalogram (EEG): After hyperbaric oxygenation treatment, 45 patients had normal EEGs; 28 patients had focal abnormal EEGs; 3 patients had paroxysmal sharp-slow wave and another 20 patients’ EEGs were slightly abnormal, 4 patients had boundary EEGs. Follow-up: Seventy-six patients had been observed for more than 3 years. Forty children had been completely free of anticonvulsants. Three children had 1 or 2 slight attacks every year. Twenty-five patients were administered a small amount of anticonvulsants and their seizures diminished dramatically. The attacks did not change in 11 children with systemic therapy.