What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, often shortened to HBOT, uses a special pressurized chamber, called a hyperbaric chamber, to increase oxygen levels in the blood. It’s also known as oxygen therapy, hyperbaric treatment, and hyperbaric therapy. The US Navy uses it to treat decompression sickness. HBOT has also become popular with athletes as a way to speed recovery from injury. [1] Athletes known to use HBOT include Tim Tebow, Hines Ward, tennis star Novak Djokovic, and UFC fighter Urijah Faber. [2] [3]

Disclaimer: HBOT is a relatively new therapy and we’re still learning what it can and cannot do. Don’t believe spurious claims that HBOT is some sort of miracle cure-all. As with any new technology or therapy, it’s important to take a practical and realistic point of view. [4] That said, let’s look at how it works… 2014 True Power of Hyd... Mary Wright Best Price: $11.19 Buy New $10.28 (as of 05:50 UTC - Details)

How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Works

At the start of an HBOT sessions, the patient enters the hyperbaric chamber, which is a large glass chamber resembling something Jacques Cousteau might use to watch sharks. Once inside, a technician slowly increases the pressure as oxygen pumps into the chamber at levels 1.5 – 3 times higher than normal atmospheric air pressure. This fills the lungs with higher than normal levels of oxygen and encourages oxygen to be absorbed into the blood. Because it is a pressurized environment, it may cause minor discomfort and ear popping.

Oxygen is necessary for healing. When an injury occurs, the area around the wound becomes inflamed. This reduces the amount of oxygen available to the area for healing. When an injury is serious, the damage may be greater than the body’s capacity to heal.

HBOT helps the healing response by enriching the blood with oxygen and allowing for a steady flow of oxygen-rich blood to reach the wound.

13 Reasons to Use Oxygen Therapy

There are some outrageous claims about the benefits of HBOT. Sad to say, as great as it may be, it won’t make you Wonder Woman or Superman. However, the FDA has listed 13 conditions that may benefit from the use of hyperbaric chambers. [5] [6]

  1. Air or gas embolism
  2. Bone infection
  3. Brain or sinus infections Defy Your Doctor and B... Sarah Cain Corriher Best Price: $10.38 Buy New $28.00 (as of 01:05 UTC - Details)
  4. Burns
  5. Carbon monoxide poisoning
  6. Decompression sickness
  7. Gas gangrene
  8. Necrotizing soft tissue infection
  9. Radiation injury
  10. Skin graft
  11. Wounds
  12. Thermal burns
  13. Brain abscesses

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