Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a method of administering highly concentrated oxygen to a patient to improve or correct certain health conditions.
In a hyperbaric chamber, the body is exposed to more oxygen than we can breathe in. That oxygen dissolves into the body’s fluids, including plasma, the lymph and the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and the spinal cord. These fluids carry the extra oxygen to all areas of the body, including where circulation is poor or blocked. This extra oxygen helps speed up the healing process. It enhances the ability of our white blood cells to fight infection, promote the development of blood vessels and build new connective tissue.
Benefits of HBOT
- Increased blood flow to the injured tissues
- Increased blood vessel formation
- Increased healing of wounds
- Reduced swelling
- Reduced infection
- Preservation of compromised tissue
- Stimulation of new bone formation
- Decreased size of life-threatening air bubbles in the blood
- Reduced effect of toxic substances
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy must be used in conjunction with a total wound care program, including good nutrition and daily wound care. A typical series of hyperbaric oxygen treatments can require as many as five to six visits a week for four to five weeks.