Conditions We Help

CONDITIONS WE HELP: FDA APPROVED & OFF LABEL-EMERGING

Conditions That HBOT Can Help

Conditions We Help: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has been proven to benefit a wide range of medical conditions. Below is a list of both “FDA Approved Conditions” and “Off Label Conditions-Emerging Conditions”. “Off Label” emerging conditions are medical conditions that have a lot of research and patient experiences that support HBOT as an effective treatment, however those conditions have not yet been approved in the United States by the FDA.*

FDA Approved Conditions We Help

Air or Gas Bubbles

Air or gas bubbles or embolism refers to a bubble moving in the bloodstream that could obstruct the flow of blood to the body’s vital organs and tissues.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is the primary treatment for an air or gas embolism because the increased atmospheric pressure reduces the bubble’s size and helps it dissolve in the bloodstream.

Anemia (Bridge Therapy)

Anemia is a lack of blood, specifically red blood cells. The deficiency of red blood cells and hemoglobin reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, causing pallor, fatigue, weakness, or shock. Causes of anemia include excessive blood loss from internal bleeding or trauma, destruction of red blood cells by disease, or abnormal production of red blood cells in the bone marrow.

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can be used to treat severe acute anemia. HBOT is used as a bridge therapy in this case until life-threatening acute anemia can be resolved by helping to push oxygen through to vital organs.

Burns

A thermal burn is an injury caused by fire or heat. Damage to the skin and sometimes the mouth, throat, and lungs often worsens in the days after the incident. Thermal burn injuries are prone to infection, inflammation, and swelling. Surgical removal of dead tissue and skin grafting may be required to promote healing.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, odorless gas that can cause damage to the body, prohibiting oxygen from getting to the heart, brain, and other organs, cells, and tissues.

Smoke inhalation can also be detrimental to a person’s health, as it has the ability to burn the throat, nose, and lungs, causing an immense amount of pain and making it difficult to breathe. Those who inhale smoke can run the risk of suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to treat carbon dioxide poisoning and smoke inhalation damage aims to relieve pain, enhance oxygen levels, and heal wounds.

Chronic Refractory Osteomyelitis

Chronic Refractory Osteomyelitis is a bone infection that can be found in both children and adults, though the latter typically suffers from more chronic symptoms. The acute version of the disease could manifest itself in about two weeks, while chronic osteomyelitis may not develop for weeks or months. Symptoms may include chronic pain, prolonged healing of wounds and prolonged discomfort.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) increases oxygen levels in the blood, thereby killing the advance of organisms that prefer minimal oxygen.

Crush Injury

An acute traumatic ischemia is a condition of inadequate supply of blood to organs and body tissues because of a severe physical injury. Crush injuries and compartment syndrome are traumatic ischemia’s associated with complex wounds resulting from such traumatic injuries. Crush injuries affect a portion of the body, such as the leg, while crush syndrome indicates that the injury is accompanied by a systemic problem, such as shock or kidney failure.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can aid in recovery from and promote healing in crush injuries.

Decompression Sickness

Decompression sickness (DCS) is the release of gas bubbles into the blood caused by a sudden decrease in pressure around the body. Commonly called the bends, and sometimes diver’s disease, DCS is most found in scuba divers.

Nitrogen bubbles form in the organs and tissues during a long or deep dive causing nitrogen bubbles to enter the bloodstream when a diver ascends too rapidly. Flying in an unpressurized airplane may also cause DCS.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is the primary treatment for decompression sickness.

Gas Gangrene

Gas gangrene is a serious infection secondary to the gas-forming bacteria Clostridium. This bacterium contaminates the wound and allows gas to get trapped under the skin, killing body tissue. Symptoms, such as high fevers, blisters, and continuous inflammation, oftentimes appear quickly and get worse within a short amount of time.

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat gas gangrene aims to keep swelling down and bacteria from spreading to other parts of the body.

Hearing Loss

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss, more commonly known as sudden deafness, is an unexplained, rapid loss of hearing. It typically occurs in one ear and can happen either at once, over a span of a few hours, or over several days.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is used to treat idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss by increasing blood flow and transporting more oxygen to the inner ear and nerve cells. Doing so can help reduce swelling, promote stem cell growth, and aid in fighting bacteria and infections.

Infections Of The Skin & Bone (Severe)

A rare but deadly type of bacterial infection, necrotizing soft tissue infections, also known as “flesh-eating bacteria,” can destroy the skin, muscles and underlying tissue. This condition can begin with a small scrape or cut that becomes infected with bacteria, then spreads to the bloodstream and rest of the body.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can aid patients with necrotizing soft tissue infections by amplifying the effects of antibiotics, enhancing the body’s natural ability to fight off bacteria, and since some strains of bacteria are anaerobic, inhibit replication and directly kill the organism.

Radiation Injury

Radiation is a commonly used treatment for many different medical conditions. As a therapy for various forms of cancer, it’s common for radiation to cause necrosis, the death of both cancerous and healthy cells, in the areas irradiated.

Radiation has been known to damage blood vessels and the lack of blood supply can eventually cause non-healing wounds to form in soft tissue and bone. Acute radiation injury—damage that occurs right after treatment—usually heals with effective medical care, which may include antibiotics and blood transfusions. However, delayed radiation injury—damage that occurs at least six months after radiation treatment—tends to be more difficult to diagnose, and therefore, treat.

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat radiation tissue damage detreat can heal the tissue by regenerating blood vessels, re-populating the damaged area with new stem cells, and accelerating all stages of wound healing. The benefits of HBOT to treat radiation tissue damage have been shown in several randomized and controlled trials.

Skin Graft Flap At Risk Of Tissue Death

A skin graft refers to skin transplanted onto a wound. A skin flap is a transplant that includes skin plus deeper tissues like muscle, blood vessels, and bone. To be successful, both skin grafts and flaps need a healthy, oxygenated transplant site. That’s where treatment with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is beneficial to patients ahead of these surgeries.

HBOT is used to prepare the wound site before the transplant and to promote healing after the skin graft or flap transplant by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen to the affected area.

Vision Loss (When Sudden And Painless In One Eye Due To Blockage Of Blood Flow)

Central retinal artery occlusion is an ocular disease characterized by blood flow blockage through the central retinal artery. Symptoms include a loss of vision and red lesions, often called ‘cherry red spots.’

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) helps patients experiencing central retinal artery occlusion by increasing dissolved oxygen levels in the blood plasma and tissue to improve the healing process, reduce inflammation and swelling, and bolster the delivery of this essential element to affected areas.

Wounds (Non-Healing, Diabetic Foot Ulcers)

Non-healing wounds, or chronic wounds, affect an estimated 6.5 million Americans each year. Non-healing wounds, which don’t heal for about three months, are more prevalent in people suffering from such diseases as diabetes and obesity. Chronic wounds include various ulcers that develop on the leg and foot, as well as pressure ulcers, or bedsores.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can help repair wounds and improve the healing process by boosting blood flow. The treatment is particularly effective in treating diabetes-related foot ulcers.

Off Label Conditions-Emerging Conditions We Help

“Off Label” emerging conditions are medical conditions that have a lot of research and patient experiences that support HBOT as an effective treatment, however those conditions have not yet been approved in the United States by the FDA.

Anoxic Brain Injury

Anoxic brain injury is a type of brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation. This can cause serious damage, as the brain depends on oxygen to function properly. In fact, brain cells without enough oxygen will begin to die after about six minutes.

There are several ways someone could suffer anoxic brain damage: nearly drowning, experiencing a decrease of oxygen flow to the brain due to a heart issue, and overdosing on drugs are just a few examples. The effects of an anoxic brain injury can range from balance issues and memory loss to vision problems and/or loss of consciousness.

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to treat anoxic brain injuries can promote healing by restoring oxygen levels, which improves the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. This can result in blood vessel growth and damaged tissue repair, among other benefits.

Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is considered an autoimmune disease that causes joint pain. Common symptoms include swelling, joint stiffness, fatigue, weight loss, and redness. Rheumatoid arthritis, for which there’s no cure, can also lead to bone erosion.

Osteoarthritis is the degeneration of joints over time from wear and tear. Inflammation is typically localized to the joint. Osteoarthritis is the most common reason total joint replacements occur.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy increases oxygen in the bloodstream up to 1,200% above normal levels and dramatically decreases inflammation.

Cancer Treatment Synergy

If you’re receiving treatment for cancer, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can work in synergy with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. HBOT may also mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy (such as ‘chemo brain’) and radiation and decrease the recovery time after surgical procedures. In addition, HBOT is FDA-approved to treat latent radiation injury.

Furthermore, the metabolic approach to cancer treatment incorporates specific dietary modifications, such as the ketogenic diet, and employs various personalized lifestyle therapies in combination with HBOT.

Some physicians and patients are concerned that HBOT may accelerate the growth of cancer. Several recent studies have shown this not to be the case.

The use of HBOT to treat cancer side effects aims to reduce the damage to healthy tissue and blood vessels caused by radiation exposure, helping the body become stronger and fight off the disease.

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy is a condition caused by damage to the developing brain in the womb or during childbirth. Common symptoms include a lack of muscle tone, reflexes, motor control, and coordination. There is no known cure for cerebral palsy, but it is not progressive. Therapeutic interventions focus on preventing complications and helping patients live with daily challenges.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) raises oxygen levels in the brain higher than any other therapy available, stimulating a cascade of positive changes to brain physiology.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating disorder that weakens the body for prolonged periods. Bed rest does not improve fatigue of this kind, and the condition is actually made worse by physical or mental exertion. The symptoms include muscle exhaustion, inability to sleep, joint pain, headaches, and difficulty concentrating.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) seeks to relieve general fatigue and pain experienced by patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is any pain lasting more than six months. The pain level may vary from mild discomfort to excruciating and can be continuous or episodic. Chronic pain remains in the nervous system for an extended time period, affecting not only a person’s physical well-being but sometimes their emotional health as well.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) has been effectively used to reduce chronic pain, especially fibromyalgia syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, myofascial pain syndrome, migraine, and cluster headaches.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS/RSD)

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome is a chronic condition that can cause serious pain. Symptoms include terrible swelling, burning, sensitivity to touch, and alterations in skin color, typically to purple or blue.

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome may decrease swelling, improve blood flow, and decrease pain.

Complications Of Scleroderma

In Greek, Scleroderma means hardening of the skin. Scleroderma is a chronic connective tissue disease that is estimated to affect just over a quarter of a million Americans each year. One of the most obvious symptoms is hardening or tightening of the skin. Other symptoms of Scleroderma include joint pain, a heightened reaction to cold temperatures, and acid reflux, in addition to potential problems to the heart, lungs, or kidney.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can accelerate the healing of ischemic wounds that can result from Scleroderma.

Concussion & Traumatic Brain Injuries

Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury (TBIs). They are often caused by some type of external force, including wounds that penetrate the skull and closed-head injuries.

Concussions can have varying degrees of severity, but all are considered serious injuries that should be evaluated by a medical professional. Professional and adolescent athletes, particularly those involved in contact sports, tend to be more at risk. TBIs are also the signature wound of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. However, anyone could suffer a concussion: sports injuries, car and motorcycle accidents, and falls all could result in brain trauma.

Symptoms—emotional, physical and cognitive—may include headache, dizziness, memory loss, and personality changes. They can be short-lived or last for months or even years without resolving.

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat concussions and traumatic brain injuries in patients aims to relieve symptoms and accelerate recovery by promoting damaged tissue repair and angiogenesis, or blood vessel growth.

Crohn's Disease

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the colon and ileum, associated with ulcers and fistulae. Symptoms range from mild to severe and may include frequent diarrhea, abdominal pain or cramping, reduced appetite, unexplained weight loss, and rectal bleeding.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has been used to treat Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease because it reduces inflammation, fights infection, and decreases pain.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia or fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic pain disorder. Symptoms include widespread or localized muscle and joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and tenderness. Most people with fibromyalgia experience fatigue, sleep disturbances, headaches, anxiety, and memory problems. Some also report high sensitivity to noises, lights, smells, and temperature changes.

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat fibromyalgia patients aims to relieve these symptoms.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by reoccurring ulcerations and includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Symptoms include bleeding, weight loss, diarrhea, anemia, and abdominal pain.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) benefits patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease by increasing saturation levels within blood plasma and tissues, helping the body’s natural healing process, reducing swelling and inflammation, and eliminating harmful bacteria.

Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial Cystitis is also known as painful bladder syndrome (PBS), bladder pain syndrome (BPS), and chronic pelvic pain. Symptoms include recurring pelvic pain, pressure, or discomfort in the bladder and/or pelvic region, and urinary frequency (needing to go often) and urgency (needing to go right away). The cause is not known but the symptoms can be debilitating

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat interstitial cystitis may significantly improve symptoms.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Symptoms of an acute infection can include fever, headache, fatigue, and skin rash but the infection can also be completely asymptomatic. It is most common in the northeast and upper Midwest but is found throughout the rest of the United States and most of the world. About 30,000 Lyme disease cases are reported annually although the vast majority go unreported.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy seeks to attack the disease with enriched oxygen, which increases blood flow. Lyme disease is a microaerophile, meaning that it thrives in low oxygen environments. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can directly kill the organism by flooding it with oxygen.

Migraine/Headache

A migraine is a common reoccurring neurological syndrome characterized by severe headache, nausea, vomiting, disturbed vision, and hypersensitivity to lights and sounds. Other common symptoms associated with migraine’s include chills, sweating, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, numbness or tingling, and difficulty speaking or concentrating. Cluster headaches are severe headaches, typically around the eye and only affecting one side of the head. They are often associated with watery eyes, nasal congestion, and swelling around the eye.

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat migraine and cluster headaches in patients aims to relieve symptoms and help mitigate the severity and frequency of attacks.

Multiple Sclerosis

In multiple sclerosis, an abnormal response of the body’s immune system is directed against myelin—the fatty substance that surrounds and insulates the nerve fibers—as well as the nerve fibers themselves located in the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.

Multiple sclerosis symptoms are variable and unpredictable but can include fatigue, vision problems, spasticity, walking difficulties, numbness or tingling, weakness, pain, bladder problems, and cognitive changes.

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat multiple sclerosis patients aims to relieve symptoms and to help prevent attacks and disabilities.

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is a condition in which the pancreas becomes inflamed. There are two forms of pancreatitis: acute and chronic. Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation that typically lasts for a short period of time and goes away with treatment. Chronic pancreatitis, which generally occurs after acute pancreatitis, is a long-lasting inflammation of the pancreas. Symptoms include nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, swollen and tender abdomen.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can decrease pancreatic inflammation, swelling, and the debilitating pain associated.

Post-Covid Conditions

While most recover from COVID-19 infections, some experience symptoms that last months after the initial infection. These long COVID patients exhibit a combination of persistent symptoms, including fatigue, memory issues, brain fog, anxiety, sleep disruption, change in taste and smell sensation, muscle pain, shortness of breath, and gastrointestinal symptoms. These symptoms can be quite debilitating and disruptive to people’s daily lives.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has emerged as a treatment option for the condition. HBOT is a therapy that involves breathing 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber. During a hyperbaric treatment session, the pressure allows the oxygen to reach higher levels in the bloodstream and tissues, reducing inflammation and promoting healing and recovery.

There are several mechanisms by which HBOT reduces inflammation. By increasing the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the plasma, HBOT stimulates the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors. HBOT can also increase the expression of anti-inflammatory genes, which can help to reduce the overall inflammatory response.

The anti-inflammatory effects of HBOT have been shown to be effective in a variety of conditions, including autoimmune disorders and acute injuries. Given the role of inflammation in long COVID, HBOT may be a beneficial treatment option for long haulers.

Retinitis Pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited disease characterized by retinal degeneration. In this condition, photoreceptor cells in the retina, known as rods and cones, die. Since these cells are responsible for capturing images, their destruction results in symptoms that include night blindness, central vision loss, and the inability to distinguish colors.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can help patients experiencing retinitis pigmentosa by increasing dissolved oxygen levels in blood plasma and tissue, which may slow the degenerative process, aid healing, and stabilize their visual functionality.

Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury is damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal canal. A spinal cord injury usually begins with a sudden, traumatic blow to the spine that fractures or dislocates vertebrae. The damage begins at the time of injury when displaced bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments bruise or tear into spinal cord tissue. This often causes permanent changes in strength, sensation and other body functions below the site of the injury.

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat spinal cord injury patients aims to help improve function.

Sports Injuries

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) plays an important role in optimizing athletic performance and recovery of athletic activities. But perhaps, more significantly, it also accelerates recovery from sports-related injuries and surgery, enabling athletes to get back on the field faster.

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to treat sports injuries aims to relieve symptoms, accelerate recovery, and optimize performance.

Stroke

A stroke is also known as a “brain attack” and occurs when the blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off. Brain cells and tissue deprived of oxygen and nutrients will begin to die within minutes. Depending on the location and size of oxygen deprivation in the brain, a stroke can lead to small or very large motor, cognitive, and/or sensory deficits.

The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can reverse tissue oxygen deprivation in the acute setting and after the damage has occurred, HBOT can help re-grow blood vessels and regenerative nerve cells.

Surgery Preparation & Accelerated Recovery

All surgeries, even those performed to cure or improve medical conditions, result in wounds that the body will need to heal. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) optimizes the oxygenation (and thus the healing potential) of tissue prior to surgery and accelerates wound healing post operatively.

Although there are many additional examples, pre-surgical and post-surgical HBOT can improve recovery from orthopedic procedures or injuries such as an ACL tear, decrease bruising and swelling post plastic surgery, and improve tissue healing after cancer surgeries.

HBOT is especially effective in complex surgical cases where there is a high risk of wound healing complications.

Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease of the large intestine, characterized by inflammation of its lining and the development of sores and ulcerations. An abnormal immune system response in which white blood cells misinterpret food and bacteria as invading substances, this condition is discomforting and can become painful. Symptoms include bloody stools, frequent bowel movements and debilitating abdominal pain.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) benefits patients suffering from ulcerative colitis by increasing the oxygen levels in plasma and tissues which reduces inflammation and swelling, allowing the tissue to heal.

*Contraindications

CONTRAINDICATIONS ARE EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS WHERE HBOT SHOULD NOT BE UTILIZED.

Pneumothorax, Pregnancy, Some Chemotherapy drugs (Bleomycin), Congestive Heart Failure

Conditions We Help