Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments Reviews

At the Hyperbaric Healing Institute, patients receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy will sit comfortably in our multi-place chamber, breathing 100% oxygen under increased atmospheric pressure. During the hour-long treatment, patients relax, watch television or movies, or even take a nap while our highly trained technicians carefully monitor them. They can communicate easily to individuals outside the chamber through a closed circuit TV and intercom system.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a method of administering pure oxygen at greater than atmospheric pressure to a patient in order to improve or correct conditions. By providing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber we are able to deliver 10-15 times more oxygen then if delivered at sea level or at normal atmospheric levels. Some of the effects this has are to promote the growth of new blood vessels, decreases swelling and inflammation, deactivates toxins, increase the body’s ability to fight infections, clears out toxins and metabolic waste products, and improve the rate of healing. HBOT should be used to compliment conventional therapies and treatments.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is the medical use of oxygen at a higher than atmospheric pressure. The therapy involves sitting in a pressurized chamber and breathing in 75% oxygen for an hour. The treatment is given every day for several weeks, or on a schedule, such as every other day. Proponents of hyperbaric oxygen therapy claim that an increase in oxygen consumption can be helpful for a wide variety of conditions, including autism, arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, lyme disease, acne and frequent air travel. [1] These uses are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In the case of autism, the theory is that HBOT increases the blood flow in the brain, which stimulates areas in the brain that have previously been idle. This stimulation, according to HBOT proponents, helps children with autism to develop the areas of their brains that have been functioning improperly.

Critics point out that the case for using HBOT to treat children with autism is based on anecdotal evidence — personal, first-hand accounts from parents — rather than scientific research using double-blind experiments.

In an April 2007 article in The Baltimore Sun, Dr. Tina Iyama, professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explained, “I understand that what all parents want is to be able to look back and say they did everything they possibly could to help their child. That’s why they are trying all these experimental new treatments. But… there is absolutely no reason to think that improving oxygen levels in a child with autism will be helpful.” Dr. Gary W. Goldstein, president and CEO of the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, agreed: “There is no evidence in any brain problem that a hyperbaric chamber helps. Here there is no scientific rationale, and there’s actually a school of thought developing that… breathing in too much oxygen can actually damage brain tissue

HBOT can help to heal bone disorders by stimulating both the osteoclasts and the osteoblasts. This helps and leads to the re-absorption of dead bone and the creation of new bone. In addition, HBOT stimulates the production of new blood vessels, so that the growing bone receives a steady supply of nutrients, including oxygen. The increased blood vessel network that HBOT yields does two other things: it helps support the function of the osteoclasts, and brings infection fighting white blood cells to the area.

Osteomyelitis is a bacterial infection that usually involves both the outer layers of the bone and the inner bone marrow. Staphylococci, is a common form of bacteria that can cause infections ranging from pimples to meningitis. Staphylococci are an anaerobic (oxygen hating) bacteria, making HBOT ideal for controlling its spread.

* Chronic osteomyelitis may follow an acute form or may develop over time; this is also when the acute form is not completely cured by treatment.
* Long –term Osteomyelitis which in some cases continues for years.
* Refractory osteomyelitis is a term referring to the condition of bone infection that did not respond to either surgical or antibiotic therapy

Part of the difficultly in treating osteomyelitis lies in the fact that it causes a lack of oxygen in the tissues. HBOT, by providing forced oxygenation, helps fight this disorder along with antibiotic therapy and or surgical intervention. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy helps preserve healthy bone, restore, and help build new bone and helps with the immune system. In some cases, in both bones and wounds, HBOT draws a clear line by which the surgeon can aid in the removal of dead or diseased bones. These types of infections can occur sometimes in the extraction of a tooth.

A good three-part treatment for bone infections includes the use of antibiotics, surgery to remove the dead bone, and HBOT as a supporting or adjunct treatment. There are some surgeons who are using HBOT before and after surgery.