Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
HYPERBARIC OXYGEN CHAMBER BENEFITS
- Increases oxygenation of the blood and tissues A General Overview on the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: Applications, Mechanisms and Translational Opportunities - PMC (nih.gov)
- Increases energy and promotes better sleep
- Strengthens your immune system and reduces inflammation Hyperbaric Physiological And Pharmacological Effects of Gases - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
- Improves wound healing and promotes collagen production
- Enhances athletic performance Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Mitochondrial Respiration and Physical Performance in Middle-Aged Athletes: A Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial - PMC (nih.gov)
- Improves endurance, reduce muscle fatigue, speeds up recovery Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Inflammation, Oxidative/Antioxidant Balance, and Muscle Damage after Acute Exercise in Normobaric, Normoxic and Hypobaric, Hypoxic Environments: A Pilot Study - PMC (nih.gov)
- Improves cognitive function, memory, and promotes new brain cell growth Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for traumatic brain injury: bench-to-bedside - PMC (nih.gov)
- Helpful for mild traumatic brain injuries and post-concussion syndromes Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for mild traumatic brain injury persistent postconcussion syndrome: a randomized controlled trial - PMC (nih.gov)
- Stimulates growth of new blood vessels
- Increases stem cell production and promotes anti-aging Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases telomere length and decreases immunosenescence in isolated blood cells: a prospective trial - PMC (nih.gov)
- Helpful for concussions, MS, cerebral palsy, strokes Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves neurocognitive functions of post-stroke patients - a retrospective analysis - PubMed (nih.gov)
- Reduces pain and swelling Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Pain: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
- May help with certain cancer treatments Hyperbaric oxygen as an adjunctive therapy in treatment of malignancies, including brain tumours - PMC (nih.gov)
- Treats long Covid symptoms The evolving use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic - PubMed (nih.gov)
WhY do we use this particular hyperbaric chamber?
In one word...SAFETY!
Our hyperbaric chamber utilizes an oxygen concentrator that will increase the oxygen content around your body to 30% with oxygen being delivered to your lungs at 95% at 2.0 ATM. This concentrator also enhances the air with anionization, cooling and dehumidification. We typically see 100% oxygen saturation in our patients. Secondly, our chamber has open windows above your head and below your feet and a huge window directly above your face to enhance your comfort and anxiety.
Hyperbaric chambers that utilize compressed oxygen tanks run at 99.5% oxygen content which can lead to potential bodily damage caused from oxygen toxicity. These risks listed by the FDA include progression of cataracts and macular degeneration, ruptured ear drums, and collapsed lungs. The compressed oxygen tank hyperbaric chambers also give a higher risk for fire and explosions. If a spark is introduced into a chamber that utilizes the compressed oxygen tanks, such as a static electricity spark, the higher oxygen content lowers the energy needed for a fire to start and the flame spread rate is faster, peaking the pressure and potentially causing an explosion.
Thus, our hyperbaric tank gives you all of the benefits of 100% oxygen saturation without the risks. In fact, you may utilize a laptop, your phone and listen to your music while inside our chamber with a lowered risk associated with the higher O2 content chambers.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOFT AND HARD CHAMBERS?
The significant distinction between hard and soft chambers lies in the oxygen concentration delivered to the body. Breathing room air, you inhale 21% oxygen. A soft-sided chamber can increase this to 24%. In contrast, oxygen masks, like those used in ambulances or hospitals, provide 55% oxygen. Our hard-shell hyperbaric chambers, however, deliver 95% oxygen to the lungs. These figures don't even account for the differences in pressure levels.
Delving deeper, arterial blood gas levels indicate the oxygen present in the blood. Under normal conditions, blood oxygen reads at 157 mmHg at 1.0 ATM. In a soft-sided chamber at 1.3 ATA with 24% oxygen, this rises to 230 mmHg. An ambulance oxygen mask delivers 55% oxygen at standard pressure, resulting in 418 mmHg. The stark contrast is seen in a hard-shell chamber. With a hard-shell chamber at 2.0 ATA and 95 percent oxygen to the lungs, your arterial oxygen levels may reach over 1,500 mmHg with 100% O2 saturation.
The efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a treatment hinge on saturating the body with high oxygen levels. Regrettably, soft-sided chambers offer little more than what one would breathe naturally. In fact, a simple oxygen mask can be more beneficial.
Research indicates that at 1.5 ATA, oxygen becomes bacteriostatic, inhibiting bacterial and fungal growth. Hard-shell chambers typically exceed 2.0 ATA, effectively suppressing bacterial growth, whereas soft-sided chambers at 1.3 ATA cannot, and may actually promote bacterial proliferation.