The term “cerebral palsy” is not a specific diagnosis, but is now generally applied to children who experience some form of brain trauma either at the time of birth or shortly before. Typically, these children manifest some degree of cognitive impairment as well as physical impairment, often with weakness and spasticity of arms and legs. Typically treatment therapies for children with cerebral palsy have been directed at the physical manifestations of the underlying problem. That is, most efforts are geared to increase range of motion, reduce spasticity, and increase strength, along with specific therapies designed to enhance skills of communication and academic performance. Evidence from around the globe is now accumulating providing strong support for the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) as an approach to the actual underlying problem in children with cerebral palsy – a technique which actually targets the abnormalities of brain function. The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in cerebral palsy offers an exciting new therapeutic approach for the treatment of cerebral palsy. In actuality however, hyperbaric oxygen therapy itself is not a new technique.

It has been utilized for decades for the treatment of injuries related to underwater diving, and in addition has found great utility in the treatment of poorly healing wounds, burns, various bone disorders, complications of radiation therapy, circulatory problems, carbon monoxide poisoning, multiple sclerosis, head injury, and stroke. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is approved by the FDA as well as the AMA and acts by enhancing tissue levels of life-giving oxygen. Normally, oxygen is almost exclusively carried by red blood cells. During hyperbaric oxygen therapy, there is a substantial increase in the amount of oxygen carried in all body fluids, including plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, lymph and intracellular fluids. This allows increased oxygen levels in areas of tissue damage or injury. Increasing oxygen levels promotes growth of blood vessels and increases the metabolic activity of previously marginally functioning cells, including brain neurons. Patients receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy enter a monoplace (one-person) clear acrylic chamber where they breathe 100% oxygen delivered to the chamber under increased atmospheric pressure. Typically, treatments last one to two hours during which time patients relax, watch television, or sleep, while they are carefully monitored by highly trained technicians.