We all need air to survive, but pure oxygen delivered at an increased pressure can significantly restore lost cellular function and aid in the improvement of chronic illnesses, ailments and wounds. Hyperbaric (high pressure) oxygen therapy (HBOT) delivers 100 percent oxygen at three times higher than normal atmospheric pressure inside a specially designed chamber.

Hospitals across the country have been opening HBOT facilities to deal with non-healing injuries, particularly diabetic wounds. They also treat a number of other conditions that include carbon monoxide inhalation, crush trauma, decompression illness and radiation tissue damage. One area in particular that has shown great promise is in the treatment of neurological conditions that have failed to respond to or have been minimally helped by traditional therapies. HBOT is used hand-in-hand with conventional care as a complementary and alternative method to alleviate ailments such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), autism, ADHD, strokes and cerebral palsy.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that 1.7 million Americans suffer a brain injury each year, with those numbers increasing dramatically during wartime. Brain injury has been the most highly reported ailment among all military servicemen and women fighting the conflicts in the Middle East during the past 13 years, and the figures suggest a correlation between TBI and PTSD.

In brain injuries, there is usually an initial stage of significant swelling of the affected area which HBOT can greatly reduce and resolve. While some nerve cells in the affected area may be dead, others may be in a state of limbo, because blood flow has been diminished. Because oxygen-rich blood is no longer feeding these neurons, the cells also have low pressures of oxygen. It is these reduced levels of oxygen in the brain and other injured areas that account for patients’ symptoms and difficulties in functioning. The way to address these deficiencies is to provide HBOT, which dissolves into the fluids of the body to a much greater extent than is possible under normal atmospheric conditions.

Also, Dr. Harch, author of The Oxygen Revolution, states that research has identified 8,101 genes that are impacted by exposure to hyperbaric oxygen. Some genes that are turned on or off involve tissue growth, inflammation and cell death.

 

Kyla Stevens is a freelance writer for Natural Awakenings.