FAQ

INTRODUCTION

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is currently viewed as being new and controversial. However, the concept and utilization has, in fact, been in existence since the 1830’s.

In the late 1800 the use of pressure as a therapeutic intervention gained recognition for the treatment of decompression sickness or the “bends” within industrial medicine in treating workers building bridges, tunnels and in diving operations. Its effectiveness in this role is undisputed within the mainstream medical community.

Its integration into the medical mainstream, however, has been met with skepticism. This reluctance is tied to the availability of hyperbaric systems and the failure of the hyperbaric community to organize research so that the effects of pressure and oxygen are isolated for their therapeutic response.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a method of safely delivering high doses of Oxygen to the body, the treatment consists in intermittent, short term, high dose Oxygen inhalation and is done by breathing inside a specialized chamber under pressure.

The pressure inside the chamber causes the Oxygen you breathe to be dissolved in your blood to levels that we don’t need the red cells to be the primary carriers anymore. 

The net effect is to increase the dissolved oxygen within the blood, which is then delivered into the ‘targeted tissue’.

HBOT is not a “cure it all”, but continues to demonstrate significant improvements in difficult situations ; assisting patients with problems ranging from simple delayed wound healing to complex disabilities and impairment.

• HBOT is safe and effective.
• HBOT is non-invasive non-surgical.
• HBOT unlike many other treatments and surgical procedures, has few side effects, and almost none of any lasting nature.
• HBOT is a complementary treatment that works well with other forms of therapies and or requisite medications. It enhances the effectiveness of traditional and complementary therapies.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a treatment option used for hypoxic and inflammatory conditions. Hypoxia is a significant component in the pathology in conditions such as stroke, cancer, heart disease and chronic lung disease. The unavailability of oxygen if not resolved leads to tissue injury and eventually death. In this role it is used to complement other forms of treatment recommended by the patient’s primary physician, to promote stabilization and repair.

Some have attempted to describe HBOT as a “cure all”. It is not. When relegated to a position of last resort, much longer series of treatment are required to get the desired results. Expectations of outcomes must be realistic, and in line with clinical diagnosis. When fully integrated into a multi-disciplinary approach, the effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy are significant and certainly can make a difference in the outcome of the treatment.