Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment, which enhances the body’s natural healing process by inhalation of 100% oxygen in a chamber where atmospheric pressure is increased and controlled.
Oxygen is transported throughout the body only by red blood cells. Oxygen is dissolved into all of the body’s fluids, the plasma, the lymphatic system, the central nervous system fluids, and the bone.
Oxygen can be carried to areas where circulation is diminished or blocked. In this way, extra oxygen can reach the damaged tissues helping the body to support its own healing process. The increased oxygen enhances the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria, reduces swelling and allows new blood vessels to grow more rapidly into the affected areas.
It has long been known that healing many areas of the body cannot take place without appropriate oxygen levels in the tissue. In many cases, such as circulatory problems and non-healing wounds, adequate oxygen cannot easily reach the damaged area. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can provide the extra oxygen with minimal side effects. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may improve the quality of life of the patient in many areas. Many conditions such as PTSD and stroke have responded favorably to hyperbaric treatment.
In each session, the patient enters an oxygen chamber, where the air pressure increases slowly. Patients can often watch TV and feel no differently than if they were in a normal pressure environment. The idea is to increase the amount of oxygen in the body’s tissues and red blood cells. The process can change the way the body heals.