Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)/Post Concussion Syndrome
TBIs occur when brain tissue is bruised after it impacts the skull due to a blow or jolt to the head. This causes an inflammatory response and swelling of the tissue as the brain responds to injury. Symptoms typically include headache, nausea/vomiting, fatigue, problems with speech, and dizziness.
HBOT can dramatically improve symptoms of chronic TBI months, or even years, after the original head injury. Current studies focus on the effectiveness of HBOT in improving brain function and quality of life. One study in particular found that HBOT can lead to neuroplasticity, which can repair chronically impaired brain functions and improve quality of life in mild TBI with post-concussive syndrome at late chronic stage.
HBOT Benefits
Enhance Neurological Repair & Regeneration
- Attenuates the effects of hypoxia & inflammation in the brain
- Promotes Neurogenesis
- Moderates mitochondrial disorders
- Enhances stem cell mobilization & proliferation
- Increases penumbra tissue recovery
- Stimulates neuroplasticity
- Induces remyelination
- Augments concussion recovery
Improve Overall Function
- Advances cognitive function
- Improves gross/fine motor skills
- Enhances speech & language
- Alleviates spasticity
- Lessens frequency of seizures
- Stimulates better eye contact
- Improves balance & walking
Supporting Research
- Case report: Treatment of mild traumatic brain injury with hyperbaric oxygen
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can Improve Post Concussion Syndrome Years after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury – randomized prospective trial
- Hyperbaric oxygen: B-level evidence in mild traumatic brain injury clinical trials
- Role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in severe head injury in children
Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson’s is a type of movement disorder that can affect the ability to perform daily activities, with symptoms progressing over time. The most common complications include tremors, stiffness, or rigidity of muscles, slowness of movement, sleep problems, constipation, anxiety/depression, and fatigue.
HBOT can drastically improve the quality of life of patients suffering from Parkinson’s by redistributing the blood flow to the level of the central nervous system (CNS). This helps stimulate repair of nervous tissues, reduce stiffness and tremors, and improve cognitive function. In one study of 64 Parkinson’s patients, 55 patients experienced these beneficial effects from the use of HBOT after only 8-12 treatments.
HBOT Benefits
- Reduce oxidative stress in CNS
- Reduce inflammation in CNS
- Neurogenesis
- Stimulate growth of new, healthy blood vessels
- Stimulate repair of nervous tissues
- Restore motor deficits (improve muscle strength, balance, & coordination
- Stem cell proliferation
- Reduce stiffness & tremors
- Reduce anxiety & depression associated with Parkinson’s
Supporting Research
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in fibromyalgia and the diseases involving the central nervous system
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Effect on “Kinesia Paradoxa” Brain Circuits
- Mild hyperbaric oxygen inhibits the decrease of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of mice with MPTP-induced Parkinson’s Disease
- Hyperbaric oxygen treatment for Parkinson’s disease with severe depression and anxiety
- Hyperbaric oxygenation in the complex treatment of Parkinson disease
Stroke
A stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing oxygen from traveling to brain tissue. HBOT has been shown to help prevent and treat stroke through a number of different mechanisms. HBOT can be used to precondition the brain by stimulating angiogenesis, thus producing more circulatory pathways throughout the brain and potentially decreasing the chance of stroke. This has also been shown to benefit post-stroke patients, as compromised blood flow to the affected brain tissue and its functionality are recoverable by introducing increased levels of oxygen.
HBOT Benefits
Stroke Recovery
- Faster overall recovery
- Improves vision and speech
- Reduces paralysis
- Accelerates gross/fine motor skills
- Increases penumbra tissue recovery
- Stimulates angiogenesis for faster reclamation
- Promotes neurogenesis
- Enhances stem cell proliferation & mobilization
- Escalates neuroplasticity
- Alleviates spasticity
Stroke Prevention
- Stimulates angiogenesis
- Ameliorates Atherosclerosis
- Decreases oxidative stress in the brain
- Preconditions the brain to enable neuroprotective properties
Supporting Research
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves neurocognitive functions of post-stroke patients – a retrospective analysis
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Induces Late Neuroplasticity in Post Stroke Patients – randomized, prospective trial
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: a new look on treating stroke and traumatic brain injury
- An Extra Breath of Fresh Air: Hyperbaric Oxygenation as a Stroke Therapeutic
- Functional MRI (fMRI) Evaluation of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) Efficacy in Chronic Cerebral Stroke: a small retrospective consecutive case series
Dementia/Alzheimer's Disease
HBOT could provide a new means to slow the progression, or even prevent the development, of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out simple tasks. Symptoms include memory loss, forgetting the names of loved ones, and decreased concentration.
Clinical research has shown promising results in the treatment of Alzheimer’s and dementia with HBOT due to its ability to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life. One study examined the use of HBOT on a 58 year old Alzheimer’s patient who had experienced five years of cognitive decline. After a total of 40 treatments, the patient “demonstrated the largest improvement in brain metabolism of any therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. HBOT in this patient may be the first treatment not only to halt, but temporarily reverse disease progression in Alzheimer’s disease.”
HBOT Benefits
Improved Quality of Life
- Increasing oxygen delivery to the body
- Reduce overall inflammation
- Alleviate pain
- Support faster wound healing
- Reduce mental and physical stress
- Eliminate bacteria & infection
- Decrease need for standard rheumatic medications (reduce effects of immunosuppression)
- Repair damaged tissues
- Stabilize immunologic function
- Strengthen body’s resistance for eliminating pathogenic factors
Enhanced Performance
- Improved attention
- Increased memory
- Enhanced concentration
The Brain with HBOT
- Enhanced processing speed
- Enhanced executive function
- Improved brain blood flow
Supporting Research
- Hyperbaric oxygen ameliorates cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for Alzheimer’s disease
- Meta-Analysis on the Efficacy and Safety of Hyperbaric Oxygen as Adjunctive Therapy for Vascular Dementia
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy ameliorates pathophysiology of 3xTg-AD mouse model by attenuating neuroinflammation
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy alleviates vascular dysfunction and amyloid burden in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model and in elderly patients
- Reduced Alzheimer’s disease pathology by St. John’s Wort treatment is independent of hyperforin and facilitated by ABCC1 and microglia activation in mice
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
MS is a degenerative disease that attacks the body’s central nervous system (CNS). MS attacks the brain and spinal cord, scarring the protective sheets of tissue (myelin) and causing the body’s own immune system to attack the lines of communication between nerve cells. Inflammation of CNS is a signature characteristic of MS, with patients losing the ability to write, speak, and walk over time.
In England alone, 10,000 MS patients are receiving HBOT to successfully alleviate symptoms and improve functional ability. Patients have reported improvements with their ataxia (coordination), numbness in their fingers and hands, balance, visual fields, concentration, pain, weakness, and dizziness.
HBOT Benefits
- Improve mobility & motor functions
- Improve bladder control
- Pain relief
- Reduce inflammation – signature characteristic of MS
- Improve mental clarity
- Improve visual fields
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
ASD is a neurological and developmental disorder that begins in early childhood and lasts throughout a person’s life. This can impact how a person acts and interacts with others, communicates, and learns. Indicators of ASD include mitochondrial dysfunction, dysregulation of the immune system, inflammation, oxidative stress, and inability to detoxify chemicals and contaminants in our environments.
HBOT has emerged as an exciting alternative treatment for autism, notably for its ability to improve overall functioning and decrease inflammation. In one study, children with autism who received 40 sessions of HBOT had significant improvements in overall functioning, receptive language, social interaction, eye contact, and cognitive awareness compared to children who received slightly pressurized room air (control group).
HBOT Benefits
Enhance Brain Healing & Repair
- Increases oxygen delivery to hypoxic tissues
- Reduces neuroinflammation
- Moderates mitochondria dysfunction
- Promotes neurogenesis
- Reduces seizure frequency
- Actuates neuroplasticity
Improve Physical Function
- Promotes receptive/expressive language
- Improves movement & walking
- Stimulates better eye contact
- Improves gross/fine motor skills
Improve Behavioral Function
- Improve sleep pattern
- Advances social skills & interaction
- Reduces aggression
Advance Mental Function
- Improves sensory/cognitive awareness
- Increases attention span & alertness
Improve Digestive Function
- Reduces gastrointestinal issues
- Decreases inflammation
- Enhances nutritional absorption
Supporting Research
- Hyperbaric treatment for children with autism: a multicenter, double-blind, controlled trial
- The effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on oxidative stress, inflammation, and symptoms in children with autism: an open-label study
- The effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in children with autism spectrum disorders
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a devastating childhood motor disability that affects movement, posture, and other motor skills and may result in the need for life-long care. HBOT has been shown to help ameliorate the effects of CP. Many forms of CP result from lack of oxygen to the brain at birth. The affected brain tissue, or penumbra, can be recovered or improved by introducing increased levels of oxygen, making HBOT a promising alternative for managing symptoms.
HBOT Benefits
Enhance Neurological Repair & Regeneration
- Attenuates the Effects of Hypoxia on the neonatal brain
- Promotes neurogenesis
- Moderates mitochondrial disorders
- Enhances stem cell mobilization and proliferation
- Increases Penumbra Tissue Recovery
- Escalates neuroplasticity
Improve Overall Function
- Advance cognitive function
- Improves gross/fine motor skills
- Enhances speech & language
- Alleviates spasticity
- Lessens frequency of Seizures
- Stimulates better eye contact
- Improves balance & walking
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is the result of damage to the peripheral nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord. While most commonly associated with diabetes, neuropathy can also be the result of injury, pressure on the nerve, autoimmune disease, infection, vitamin deficiencies, tumors, and chemotherapy. Symptoms include tingling or numbness in the hands/feet, sensitivity, lack of coordination, muscle weakness, bowel issues, bladder issues, digestive issues, and altered blood pressure. Traditional treatments aim to manage the underlying cause of neuropathy depending on patient, but few patients achieve total relief from pain.
HBOT has emerged as a promising alternative treatment for neuropathy by reducing swelling and increasing circulation through formation of new blood vessels. This allows nerves to repair and heal and effectively relieve neuropathic pain. This is supported by a study that found HBOT successfully helped heal pain associated with neuropathy for extended periods of time, without the negative side effects of traditional medications aimed at relieving symptoms.
HBOT Benefits
- Reduces swelling & inflammation
- Promotes healing of damaged tissue
- New blood vessel growth
- Improve oxygen-carrying capacity
- Reduces pain
Supporting Research
- Hyperbaric oxygen treatment decreases pain in two nerve injury models
- Hyperbaric oxygen treatment attenuates neuropathic pain by elevating autophagy flux via inhibiting mTOR pathway
- Hyperbaric oxygen attenuates neuropathic pain and reverses inflammatory signaling likely via the Kindlin-1/Wnt-10a signaling pathway in the chronic pain injury model in rats
- Mechanistic Rationale and Clinical Efficacy of Hyperbaric oxygen Therapy in Chronic Neuropathic Pain: an evidence-based narrative review
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy attenuates neuropathic hyperalgesia in rats and idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia in patients