About Hyperbaric Therapy |
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is the breathing of oxygen at levels greater than which is found in room air, in an environment with increased pressure. Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (mHBOT) utilizes a soft sided chamber, where the patient breathes less than 100% oxygen at a pressure of 1.3 atmospheres. This is the equivalent of diving down 8 feet under water.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is most known for it's treatment of SCUBA divers who suffer from decompression sickness (the Bends). It is through this work that a session of HBOT became known as a "dive".
The medical basis of HBOT is based on the laws of physics. “Henry’s Law” says that the amount of a gas dissolved in a liquid is in proportion to the pressure of the gas above the liquid, provided that no chemical action occurs. “Boyle’s Law” states that at a constant temperature, the volume and the pressure of a gas are inversely proportional. In other words, a gas will compress proportionately to the amount of pressure exerted on it. An example of these laws would be found in a sealed bottle of carbonated beverage. Until the bottle has been opened, the gas bubbles have dissolved in the fluid. Once the bottle has been opened, the pressure is released and the gas is no longer dissolved in the liquid (as seen by the formation of bubbles).
At room pressure, almost all oxygen that we breathe is transported in the red blood cells. When a patient is treated with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, the oxygen is able to dissolve in the patient’s serum (the part of the bloodstream that is fluid, not blood cells). The end result of using HBOT is that more life-sustaining oxygen is delivered to the tissues and organs. In addition, due to the effects of HBOT, blood vessels are opened up, so more blood flows to these areas. This can bring more nutrients to the cells, and theoretically may facilitate greater removal of toxins that accumulate in the organs.
The FDA has approved HBOT for the following medical conditions: Air or Gas Embolism; Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and Smoke Inhalation; Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Complicated by Cyanide Poisoning; Clostridial Myonecrosis (Gas Gangrene); Crush Injury; Compartment Syndrome and other Acute Traumatic Ischemias; Decompression Sickness (the "Bends"); Enhancement of Healing in Selected Problem Wounds; Exceptional Blood Loss (Anemia); Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections; Osteomyelitis (Refractory); Radiation Tissue Damage (Osteoradionecrosis); Skin Grafts and Flaps (Compromised); and Thermal Burns.
Medical Research has also shown that HBOT may be helpful for treating other conditions. These include (but are not limitted to): Athletic Injuries; Autism; Autoimmune Diseases; Chemotherapy/Radiation Recovery; Skin Conditions; Hyperinflammatory Conditions; and Rheumatic Diseases. The FDA has not evaluated the use of HBOT for these conditions.
Please click here to read research and news articles about HBOT and the Medical Conditions that may benefit from this therapy.Please click here to read about the potential risks of HBOTPlease click her to read about the mHBOT equipment that we utilize |
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