WHAT IS HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY?

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) involves hour-long treatments in a pressurized chamber
while breathing 100% oxygen. Oxygen is necessary for our body to produce the energy that
keeps us alive and healthy. Ordinarily, most of the oxygen in our blood is tightly bound to
hemoglobin in the red cells, and only a small amount is dissolved in the blood and available to
diffuse into our tissues. The combination of pressure and increased oxygen during an HBOT
treatment causes a dramatic increase in the level of dissolved oxygen, triggering a variety of
healing processes that can be beneficial in many medical conditions.
 

CONDITIONS HBOT CAN HELP:

There are 15 conditions that are FDA-approved for treatment with HBOT, including non-healing
diabetic wounds, radiation injury from cancer treatment, bone infections, crush injuries, and
other serious conditions.
However, HBOT is broadly and powerfully anti-inflammatory, which may explain why it has been
found to be useful in numerous other conditions, including:
 Post-concussion syndrome and Traumatic Brain Injury
 Anoxic Brain Injury
 Improved wound healing
 Recovery from sports injuries
 Fighting certain infections
 Autistic Spectrum Disorders
 Complex disorders involving the immune system
 Age-related cognitive decline
 …and many more.
 

The FDA regulates HBOT in the same way it regulates medications. That is, it requires rigorous
studies proving efficacy and safety before they grant an “indication”, a diagnosis for which the
drug is officially FDA-approved. However, practicing physicians, based on their knowledge and
experience, are allowed to use medications “off-label” for non-FDA-approved conditions. By the
same logic, we are allowed to offer HBOT for off-label purposes, which is fortunate since
hundreds of medical conditions can be dramatically improved by mild-HBOT.
 

DIFFERENT TYPES OF HBOT:PRESSURE:

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The air-pressure at sea-level is 1.0 ATM (ATMospheres). FDA-approved
conditions are traditionally treated in hard HBOT chambers at 2.0-3.0 ATM. Pioneer Valley
Hyperbaric uses only “mild” HBOT chambers, which are limited to 1.3 ATM. You can find
authoritative sources stating that HBOT is only effective at higher pressures, and claiming that
mild chambers are ineffective. This is simply untrue. The extensive clinical experience of
HBOT practitioners over decades has established that mild HBOT chambers are fully effective
for most conditions.

OXYGEN CONCENTRATION:

 

Some HBOT chambers are filled up and pressurized with 100%
oxygen, which creates a fire hazard. Mild HBOT chambers are pressurized with room-air (21%
oxygen), so there is no danger of fire. Oxygen is piped in and provided to the patient through a
hospital mask, the type routinely used when getting oxygen in a medical setting, which delivers

about 70% oxygen to the patient. Again, there are sources claiming that only 100% oxygen is
effective, but clinical experience tells us that even a moderate increase in oxygen concentration
is fully effective.

SUMMARY:

 

Mild-HBOT chambers are fully effective in most conditions. In comparison with the
hard chambers, the lower pressure and the somewhat lower oxygen concentration makes them
far safer and far more comfortable to use than hard chambers. The chambers are much
cheaper, making treatment far more affordable, which is particularly important since insurance
generally will not cover off-label uses.
In fact, mild-HBOT chambers are so safe that they are classified as Type 2 medical devices,
meaning that they are approved for use at home without the presence of a trained medical
professional. A doctor’s prescription is necessary, but it is possible to rent or even buy a
chamber when treatment is otherwise logistically impossible, or for patients who will need to
continue treatment indefinitely.