Conditions We Treat
Post-surgical Healing
Hyperbaric therapy is known to stimulate the body’s healing response, increasing the production of stem cells, fibroblasts, osteoblasts, and other “building-blocks” of new tissue growth. Another benefit of the timely use of hyperbarics following surgery is the reduction of inflammation, so you will heal faster and with less pain, swelling, and bruising.
Sports Injuries
Tears, sprains, strains, and impact trauma commonly found in athletic injuries can be effectively treated with hyperbaric oxygen. Hyperbarics reduces swelling, dissipates bruising, and cuts healing time approximately in half. By stimulating the “healing cascade” we can get you back on the field or court in half the time it might normally take.
Stroke, Alzheimers, Dementia, and other Brain Injuries
Strokes (Cerebral Vascular Accident) cause death and damage of brain tissue due to the traumatic reduction of oxygen. This and other injuries that result in oxygen deprivation to the brain can be ameliorated and in some cases reversed by hyperbaric oxygen therapy. While some areas of the brain are irretrievably damaged, a greater area of damaged cells are still viable and when stimulated with large amounts of oxygen can be returned to normal function. Hyperbaric oxygen has shown promise in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and early onset of dementia, as some studies have suggested that hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) is a factor that contributes to the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease is caused by the infection of certain bacterium, particularly (but not exclusively) the Borrelia organism. These pathogens are among the family of microbes that are highly sensitive to and cannot survive in high levels of oxygen, called “anaerobes. By daily saturation with super-levels of oxygen in the hyperbaric chamber we can kill off this infection and bring resolution to this debilitating condition.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
It is estimated that CFS afflicts upward of 2.5 million Americans. It is an incapacitating condition that affects all aspects of the patient’s life. HBOT has been shown to decrease the severity of symptoms and increase the quality of life for patients suffering from CFS. (Note: there is evidence that in some cases CFS is caused by Lyme Disease, and in such hyperbaric therapy can bring complete, positive resolution.) Hyperbarics has been shown to remove the “brain fog” often experienced by patients with CFS.
Autism
Patients on the autism spectrum have reported cognitive and motor skill improvements through the use of HBOT. A number of such patients have physiological abnormalities that respond to HBOT. These include a lack of normal brain perfusion, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. HBOT has been shown to ameliorate and improve these conditions, restoring the patient to better health and improved social functioning.
Chronic Bone Infection (Osteomyelitis)
Long-term (chronic) bone infections are very resistant to conventional therapy, such as antibiotics. Such infections can often result in amputation of affected digits or limbs. HBOT has long been shown to be an extremely effective treatment for bone infection, for several reasons. Since bone is poorly vascularized as compared to other tissues, the effectiveness of antibiotics (some of whom require high levels of oxygen to be effective) is greatly impaired. By elevating the bone oxygen saturation to supra-levels HBOT improves the effectiveness of antibiotics in fighting bone infection. Additionally, many of the most dangerous infections are anaerobic, meaning these pathogens cannot survive in high levels of oxygen. When such organisms are the infectious agents HBOT acts itself as an antibiotic, killing these bacterium. In all cases of chronic bone infection, HBOT is an important and effective way of resolving the condition and saving digits and limbs.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis weakens bones, making them more susceptible to sudden and unexpected fractures. Research is showing that HBOT has the ability to stimulate the growth of bone cells and repair damage. HBOT is also an effective treatment for bone fractures and to restore range of motion during rehabilitation following such fractures.
Post Radiation Therapy Burns
Patients who receive radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer can be left with radiation tissue damage. This may not present itself for months following radiation therapy. Such damaged tissue has long been shown to respond well to HBOT, which can restore the damaged microvasculature and stimulate tissue healing. In the cases of radiated bone, particularly the mandible, many oral surgeons follow established protocols that call for a regimen of HBOT both before and after surgical repair.
Anti-Aging
Hyperbaric oxygen is a great way to flush toxins and free radicals from your body, resulting in improved skin quality, general health and wellness and slowing the aging process. Additionally, hyperbaric oxygen has the ability to stimulate hair follicles, contributing to a fuller, healthier head of hair. Finally, oxygen is brain food, and hyperbaric oxygen is perhaps the best way to stimulate brain activity, removing “brain fog” and improving memory.
Arthritis
HBOT reduces inflammation in your joints and can bring relief from arthritic pain. By stimulating stem cells and osteoblast/osteoclast formation, HBOT can heal the damaged bone and soft tissue surrounding the joints afflicted by arthritis.
Carbon Monoxide and Other Environmental Toxins
Modern living exposes us every day to a variety of environmental and industrial toxins. Automobiles and motorcycles constantly emit toxic carbon monoxide (CO2) as exhaust, which we breathe in and accumulate in trace amounts. Industrial centers and former sites contain a variety of toxins, including heavy metals, which contribute to long-term debilitating conditions. Over time the symptoms of chronic exposure can include loss of brain function, cancer, and various neurological diseases. Hyperbaric oxygen flushes many of these toxins from the tissues, and is in fact the medical gold-standard for removing CO2 from the tissues.
