The Science
The Principles
The term “hyperbaric” is defined as a gas at a pressure greater than normal. Compared to breathing normal pressure air at sea level, hyperbaric oxygen rich air will drive up to 1,200% more oxygen into the bloodstream.
Super-saturating the body with oxygen drives the regeneration of damaged tissue, strengthens the immune system, and provides the body with greater opportunity for healing by:
- Immediately reversing hypoxia
- Acting as a signal inducer of DNA, turning on and off over 5,000 genes
- Stimulating the development of new blood vessels where circulation has been compromised (Angiogenesis)
- Promoting collagen, bone, and cartilage repair and regeneration
- Greatly reducing swelling and inflammation
- Mobilizing and stimulating an increase of stem cells within damaged tissues and in bone marrow
- Enhancing energy production at the cellular level
The Benefits
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a noninvasive treatment that can help in a variety of medical conditions either as a primary or complementary therapy.
HBOT has very few risks or side effects and may be helpful if you suffer from an inflammatory condition or a condition that may be improved when blood flow and delivery of oxygen to vital organs and tissues is optimized. Some of the benefits that can result from HBOT are:
- Healing wounds, no matter where they are
- Decreasing wound healing time through increased efficiency
- Reducing the risk of amputation
- Enhancing the brain’s ability to regain neurologic function (Neuroplasticity)
- Decreasing disability
- Reducing Pain
- Improving quality of life
Soft hyperbaric chambers – or inflatable “bags” made of polyurethane or canvas material – are often marketed as effective for treating various complex medical conditions. Most of those claims, unfortunately, have not been proven, and in many instances such claims haven’t been studied either. These soft chambers, sometimes referred to as “mild hyperbaric chambers,” are prevalent in spas, gyms, and even in the homes of high-performance athletes. Soft chambers work by compressing 21% oxygen (i.e., room air) at low-pressure levels. At these low oxygen and pressure levels, soft chambers are not nearly as effective at promoting oxygen absorption into the bloodstream – the chief healing mechanism involved in hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or “HBOT” – as hard chamber hyperbaric systems.
Hard hyperbaric chambers, or medical-grade chambers, use 100% oxygen and can reach high-pressure levels, leading to a 1200% or more increase in the amount of oxygen absorbed in the bloodstream. Among other benefits, this increased oxygen absorption level: (a) allows for oxygen to be pushed deep into the tissues, lymphatics, and the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord; (b) stimulates the growth of new blood vessels in the body, increasing circulation, allowing revitalized tissue to thrive even after the treatment protocol has been completed; (c) decreases inflammation and swelling, strengthens the immune system, stimulates the release of stem cells, and enhances mitochondrial function and regeneration; and (d) increases the production of superoxide dismutase, one of the body’s natural antioxidants and free radical scavengers, which increases the ability of the body to fight disease and infection.