What is HBOT?
How hyperbaric oxygen therapy works
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) works by exposing the body to an atmosphere of 100% oxygen, in an enclosed chamber where the atmospheric pressure is increased and controlled.
Exposing your body to 100% oxygen can accelerate the healing process by allowing more oxygen to reach damaged areas.
What are the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
The benefits of HBOT are well-documented, including:
- Speeding up the body’s healing by increasing tissue oxygen levels in areas of injury or illness
- Supporting faster wound healing
- Reducing swelling that may occur around damaged areas
- Stimulating new blood vessel growth and increased blood flow
- Elevating the body’s natural immune defenses to fight infection and bacteria
- Boosting your supply of circulating stem cells
How hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps you heal
Normal Blood Flow
There is 21% oxygen in the air that we breathe, and our lungs transfer this oxygen to our red blood cells (via hemoglobin). These oxygen-filled red blood cells are carried around the body by the plasma (fluid), which travels through the blood vessels. The oxygen diffuses into the surrounding tissue ensuring that it’s delivered to where it’s needed most.
Restricted Blood Flow
When there is a restriction (occlusion) in blood flow due to surgery, illness or injury, the red blood cells block the blood vessel and are unable to transfer oxygen to the cells on the other side of the occlusion. This causes swelling and starves the area of oxygen, causing hypoxia (a lack of oxygen). When this occurs, the tissue begins to break down.
Hyperbaric Oxygenation
Breathing 100% oxygen under pressure causes the oxygen to diffuse into the blood plasma. This oxygen-rich plasma is able to travel past the restriction, diffusing up to 3 times further into the tissue. The pressurized environment helps to reduce swelling and discomfort, while providing the body with at least 10-15 times its normal supply of oxygen to help repair tissue damaged by the original occlusion or subsequent hypoxic condition.
Hyperbaric Oxygenation (HBOT) directly increases the saturative effects of tissue oxygenation slowing and reversing hypoxia induced apoptosis – restoring blood supply to the compromised region by the development of new capillary networks (angiogenesis), enabling the body to alter the course and impact of the disease process.
Neurovascular Regeneration
HBOT mobilizes the body’s circulating stem cells. American Journal Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology (Nov 05) reports, “A single 2-hour exposure to HBOT at 2 ATA doubles circulating CD34+ progenitor stem cells (primordial cells targeted to salvage and restore damaged structures); and at approx. 20-hours of HBOT; circulating CD34+ cells increases eight fold (800%).”