Benefits

HBOT benefits

  • Enhanced oxygenation of hypoxic (low oxygen) or ischemic tissues (low blood supply)

  • Promotion in angiogenesis (new blood vessel and capillary formation)

  • Enhanced collagen synthesis along with superior collagen structure and orientation

  • Improved wound healing particularly in necrotic tissue or persistent anaerobic infections

  • Anti-inflammatory effect (reducing both acute, chronic and to an extent regulating autoimmune inflammation).

  • Modulation of oxidative stress - Presence of free radicals (Unstable molecules created by the body use of oxygen e.g oxygen use in energy production) increase efficiency of antioxidants in neutralizing free radicals and preventing further cellular damage.

  • Improving mitochondrial efficiency (Cell structure that produces energy for all body systems and functions) thus increasing cellular function.

Current well studied and approved to treat

  • Carbon monoxide poisoning along with other gas poisoning - Displacing CO molecules from hemoglobin and replacing with oxygen improving tissue oxygenation speed and decreasing foreign gas concentrations.

  • Serious non-healing wounds such as burns and diabetic ulcers - Improve healing via increased oxygenation of classically hypoxic and/or ischemic tissues

  • Radiation induced tissue damage - Soft-tissue radio necrosis and osteoradionecrosis (bone tissue and marrow damaged by radiation) co treatment for radiation therapy in cancer treatment?

  • Crush based injuries - Compartment syndrome and other traumatic ischemic conditions in tissue damaged through pressure-based injuries.

Emerging evidence

  • Neurological injury/ cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's

  • Recovery from stroke as these brain tissues have been starved of oxygen and damage often leaves tissues hypoxic and ischaemic

  • Inflammatory bowel diseases - not curing but reducing symptoms and drastically increasing quality of life in these patients (likely due to inflammation regulation)

  • ”Long-COVID” - Increasing oxygenation to combat hypoxic conditions resulting from lung tissue damage during COVID recovery

  • General regeneration of tissues - “anti-aging” along with musculoskeletal recovery from injury along with potential stem cell mobilization

  • Frost bite recovery - As these conditions leave tissues both hypoxic and ischemic

Current research stats

  • Diabetes limb ulcers - 9 RCTs (585 participants) significant improvement in complete ulcer healing relative risk of 1.95 or 95% efficacy, reduced amputation risk significantly

  • Radiation soft tissue/osteoradionecrosis and delayed radiation injury - Based on 41 articles HBOT shows benefit in wound/ damage healing

  • Acute ischaemic stroke - 2024 metaanalysis of RCTs shows HBOT safe and effective in improving neurological and physical function in stroke recovery patients

  • Diabetes mellitus glycaemic control - Systematic review of 10 studies showed improvement in glycaemic control and reduced blood glucose in patients treated with HBOT

  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBS, ulcerative colitis, crohns) - Meta-analysis of 13 studies (780 patients) found HBOT in conjunct with conventional therapies improved remission and response in ulcerative colitis. Review of 17 studies (613 patients) showed high response rate to treatment.

  • Fibromyalgia syndrome - Meta analysis of 4RCT (780 patients) found improvements in fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) and tender point count, however showed no significant effect on pain management

  • Neurodegenerative/ dementia (Alzheimer's, vascular dementia) - Systematic review of 20 studies suggesting HBOT is a promising and emerging treatment for both neurodegenerative and non-neurodegenerative dementia. Potential for prevention.

  • Plastic and reconstructive surgery (wounds/grafts/flaps) - systematic review shows HBOT used after reconstructive and aesthetic surgeries improves wound healing with potential to reduce scarring due to superior collagen structure and synthesis.

Testimonials