Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy is a type of therapy conducted under pressure. The Science and mechanism behind oxygen therapy is so unique and successful. Studies show that oxygen concentration in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber is 3-10x more oxygen rich than at regular atmospheric pressure (Mutzel, 2016). The science is simple, whenever something is under a substantial amount of pressure, the gas is more concentrated and dense. So, if oxygen is being pumped into a chamber where the pressure is high, then the amount of oxygen concentration will triple or quadruple and more oxygen will be able to fit in the chamber. Studies have also showed that increased oxygen intake can help heal wounds and restore brain function (Liu et al., 2017).
Children with autism have been shown to be more emotionally expressive after 2 hours of HBOT therapy (Rossignol et al., 2012). This is because there is an increased oxygen supply to the brain which supports neurogenesis and limbic expression (Rossignol et al., 2012). Oxygen therapy has also been shown to increase a feeling of happiness or euphoria due to increased oxygen supply (Rossignol et al., 2012). Clinical trials conducted on patients with neuropathy have also showed that HBOT therapy increases tissue repair drastically due to tissue repair via increased oxygen supply (Liu et al., 2017).
HBOT is for everyone, even for college students! Due to HBOT's effect on cognition, more students have sought after this treatment in order to feel fresh and more alert (Mutzel, 2016).
This type of therapy is known for its amazing effects, and currently several different clinical trials are still being conducted in order to explore the other things HBOT is excellent for. In the meantime, see you at the chamber!
References
Liu, Y. D., Wang, Z. B., Han, G., & Zhao, P. (2017). Hyperbaric oxygen treatment attenuates neuropathic pain by elevating autophagy flux via inhibiting mTOR pathway. American journal of translational research, 9(5), 2629–2638.
Mutzel, M., Mutzel Mike, M., & High Intensity Health. (2016). Depression, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) w/ Dr. Steve Best. Retrieved from https://highintensityhealth.com/depression-hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-steve-best/
Rossignol, D. A., Bradstreet, J. J., Van Dyke, K., Schneider, C., Freedenfeld, S. H., O'Hara, N., … Frye, R. E. (2012). Hyperbaric oxygen treatment in autism spectrum disorders. Medical gas research, 2(1), 16. doi:10.1186/2045-9912-2-16