If you’ve taken so much as a single chemistry or environmental science class in your life, you may think you know all there is to know about oxygen. It’s the “good part” of the air any living creature uses for survival, as well as the molecule in the makeup of water which essentially generates life.
However, what you may not be that familiar with is its medical use.
Imagine lying in a comfortable cocoon as a soft, soothing blanket of life-giving oxygen gradually envelops you. If you’ve never experienced hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, you’re in for a real treat. Oxygen inhaled under pressure is dissolved in all fluids of the body, so it’s more efficiently absorbed into all the body’s cells. That’s why we recommend it after every laser treatment, to speed healing and boost immunity.
Without a proper amount of oxygen, cellular metabolism is slowed down, tissues aren’t properly oxygenated and physiological functions may fail.
Many are familiar with hyperbaric pressurized dive chambers used to save the lives of scuba divers who’ve gotten the “bends” after resurfacing too quickly. The hyperbaric oxygen chamber recreates the underwater pressure so that rapidly depressurized nitrogen in the diver’s blood will not cause life threatening and painful embolisms. For most of us, this is the extent of our knowledge.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an amazing holistic modality that has been bringing a plethora of benefits to our patients for years.Hyperbaric means increased atmospheric pressure. At sea level, with the entire earth’s atmosphere of air above our heads, we live at an average pressure of 14.7psi (pounds per square inch) or 1 atmosphere.
By breathing pure oxygen in a moderately pressurized hyperbaric chamber, dramatically increased amounts of oxygen are safely delivered to all tissues in the body – even to places that have restricted blood flow or blockages.Although the history of hyperbaric oxygen therapy goes back to 1662, it wasn’t until the 21st century that HBOT finally began to emerge as a major medical therapy, both curative and preventative, producing considerable overall health improvements.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been used worldwide for over fifty years in the prevention and improvement of debilitating conditions. and in the enhancement of overall health.
You may experience a temporary popping in your ears as a result of the changing pressure identical to the experience of flying. HBOT sessions are comfortable and typically leave one with a sweet lingering sense of well-being.
Most therapies will include a modestly increased pressurization to approximately 2 atmospheres. Pressurization is gradual and relaxed, allowing plenty of time to equalize your ears.
The hyperbaric chamber is a clear acrylic cylinder in which air can be compressed to a pressure that is greater than sea level. It is cozy, has pillows, can be covered for privacy and you will have intercom communication with our medical staff.
In the chamber you will be breathing through a mask that is supplying you with pure oxygen.
Most people have a deliciously nourishing nap. Others read or meditate.The FDA has approved the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the treatment of the following conditions:
There are many other “off label” uses for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Studies have found that HBOT can also help with:
The website, clinicaltrials.gov, has more information on HBOT clinical trials for other conditions.
The oxygen you breathe at increased atmospheric pressure allows every bodily fluid, including the fluid in tissues, blood, lymph and even cerebrospinal fluid (surrounding your spine and brain) to absorb the oxygen, which dissolves in the same way CO2 dissolves into liquid to make soda.
Once these fluids are “supercharged” with oxygen, there is an increased oxygen supply to all the body’s systems and organs. You’ll experience peak wellness, peak energy and peak mental acuity. Healing from surgeries will occur faster and more extensively.Traumatic brain injuries are as serious as serious medical issues come, which makes the figure of over 2 million (the number of people in the U.S. who suffer such injuries each year) daunting to say the least. Such injuries are the main cause behind brain damage, which, in turn, can cause a host of issues, including motor dysfunctions, psychological disorders, memory loss, and the like.
Brain scans show marked improvement in functional cellular activity in areas of trauma that were previously non-functional. The increased atmospheric pressure while breathing pure oxygen allows the oxygen to reach affected cells.
A new study from UCLA indicates that HBOT treatments are extremely effective in diminishing the side effects of radiology and chemotherapy in cancer patients. The data reveals that, “HBOT increases the amount of oxygen in the body by exposing patients to pure oxygen within a sealed chamber set at pressures greater than the ambient atmosphere.”
UCLA experts believe the treatment helps cancer patients, “by stimulating growth of new blood vessels following radiation-induced damage”, which is a major physiological factor in healing damaged tissue and regenerating new healthy and young tissue.
Major university studies around the globe show that HBOT treatments cause organs tissues to go through a three-phase process of: detoxification, healing and regeneration of healthy tissue.The decision to quit smoking may be difficult, but it’s a welcome one, which stands to highly improve the former smokers’ quality of life.
That being said, many long-term smokers come to grapple with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Essentially, patients require additional oxygen in order to breathe properly – some only require it during seizures, while others need it throughout the day, as well as the night.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, used in COPD sufferers whose PaO2 is equal to or lower than 55mmHg, or SaO2 is lower than or equal to 88 per cent have lengthened their lifespan, as an effect of oxygen therapy.
The history and documented cases of successfully treated conditions with hyperbaric oxygen therapy are compelling. The list will continue to grow as more centers open in this country and as more medical doctors become familiar with its merits.
Bottom line, from skin to bone and from infections to relatively healthy tissue, healing takes place three times faster with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
While HBOT isn’t a miracle cure, it’s noninvasive, safe, works well with other treatments and has a growing body of documented studies that prove it helps people achieve better health and live longer with more comfortable and productive lives. It just makes you feel better!
At AMA Regenerative Medicine & Skincare our patients rave about their experience as well as the positive effect the HBOT has had on their energy levels, general performance as well as their speedy recovery.
Everything on our website comes from from reputable publications, books and scientific journals, most of which are available on PubMed and other government websites. These include Meta-Analysis’, Randomized Controlled Trials, Clinical Trials, Systematic Reviews, Books and Documents. We encourage you to read the science, in order to separate fact from fiction, so that you can arrive at a full understanding of what is best for your body. We would be honored to be a part of that educational journey with you.
AMA Regenerative Medicine & Skincare | 1570 Brookhollow Dr., Santa Ana, CA 92705 | 6310 San Vicente Blvd STE 285, Los Angeles, CA, 90048 Disclaimer: though everything on our website comes directly from reputable publications and scientific journals; and though thousands of these articles are available on official government websites (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), they have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the FDA has not certified, endorsed or approved any of the scientific findings as methods of treating or diagnosing any diseases or illnesses.
