” Great experience and can’t recommend enough. I’ve heard of lots of professional athletes using Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for recovering from injuries. After a Clavicle and Scapular fracture which both required surgical plating I used HBOT. The recovery time dropped and the skin healed in no time. Even the surgical nurse couldn’t believe how well my skin had healed after two weeks when removing the bandages. And it’s not scary at all. I actually fell asleep in session I was so relaxed. “
Dean
What is HBOT?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a safe and natural treatment that creates a pressurised, oxygen environment to help speed up the rate of healing.
The units used to describe the pressure (ATA) are relative to normal atmospheric pressure at sea level (1 ATA = 1 atmospheric pressure). At Vivian Street Osteopaths our chamber provides 95% oxygen at 1.5 ATA. This delivers 6 times the amount of oxygen that you would normally breath when going for a walk at the beach.
The end goal being to fill your blood plasma with enough oxygen to speed up the repair and recovery of tissues and help restore body function.
What is it used to treat?
HBOT is used to treat many conditions, some are FDA (Food and Drug Agency, USA) approved and some are considered off-label uses. The following are some of the conditions that HBOT is commonly used to treat.
is a result of physical trauma where a part of the body or limb has been under prolonged compression causing damage to the soft tissue, bones, muscles, blood vessels and nerves either through the direct trauma or by way of lack of blood flow to an area of the body.
include latent radiation conditions such as: radiation cystitis or proctitis; Radiation tissue injury after mastectomy; Dental problems or jawbone problems following head and neck surgery after cancer; Bowel problems or bleeding after colon cancer radiation; Personality changes after radiation therapy for brain cancer.
are usually caused by an underlying disease such as infection, ischemia, metabolic conditions, immunosuppression and radiation. These can include wounds such as pressure sores and diabetic foot ulcers.
For some of the latest research on diabetic foot ulcers click here.
or idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss can be without warning and lead to permanent deafness affecting usually one ear. It is important if you experience this that you seek a doctor quickly. Studies have shown how hyperbaric oxygen therapy can improve recovery outcomes when used along conventional therapies.
is a sign of cerebrovascular disease affecting vision, usually in one eye. In this event you should seek a doctor quickly. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be used to treat blindness or blurry vision that has come about due to a blocked artery.
A traumatic brain injury or concussion can be a result of direct trauma to the head or a violent shaking of the head and body. A stroke is brain damage as a result of an interruption in blood supply called a cerebrovascular event. Both these conditions are similar in the way that an area of the brain is injured with damaged blood supply. Although these events can have a good recovery, often the effects can be long lasting affecting an individuals independence. HBOT has shown to assist with the regeneration of the the essential blood vessels within the brain that are needed to restore brain function.
These inflammatory conditions of the digestive system cause pain, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue and ulcers that can lead to bleeding, anaemia and in some cases increase the risk of colorectal cancer. HBOT has shown to help in healing the wounds and moderate the inflammation associated with these conditions, therefore decreasing the impact of the disease.
Also used in the treatment of:
- Burns (severe and large burns treated at a specialised burns center)
- Skin graft flap at risk of tissue death
- Infection of the skin and bone (severe)
- Gas gangrene
- Anaemia (severe anaemia when blood transfusions cannot be used)
- Air and gas bubbles in the blood vessels
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Decompression sickness
Further research is currently being carried out on the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for concussion, traumatic brain injury (TBI).
How does HBOT work?
Normally oxygen we breathe into the lungs makes up 21% of the total gasses we inhale. The amount of oxygen we absorb into the blood in a normal atmospheric environment, is limited by how much oxygen can be carried by red blood cells. When we increase atmospheric pressure the oxygen molecules in the air we breathe become compressed (Boyle’s Law) and more soluble (Henry’s Law) so that oxygen can dissolve into the plasma, the fluid that carries red blood cells. When we also increase the percentage of oxygen that we inhale, we can increase the amount of oxygen absorbed by the blood from 6 to 12 times that of what you normally breathe.
This is helpful as one of the main energy production mechanisms in the body is the mitochondria production of ATP. ATP is fuel for the cells of your body, and mitochondria need oxygen to produce ATP.
When you have a wound or damaged area of small blood vessels (capillaries), red blood cells can not reach the cells that are damaged to provide the fuel (oxygen) needed to help repair. When there is more oxygen in plasma however, oxygen can reach the area of damage much faster, therefore healing can occur at an accelerated rate.
Is HBOT safe?
People often ask, “what about oxygen toxicity?” There have been very low incidences of oxygen toxicity (1 in 10,000) and these occur at the higher levels of pressure (100% oxygen at 2 ATA – 3 ATA). The lower the pressure and the amount of oxygen the lower the risk.
We provide 95% oxygen at 1.5 ATA
What will I experience in a treatment?
Before you start your treatment there are a few questions that you will be asked to ensure that you are suitable for the treatment. Depending on your condition, an appointment with one of our Osteopaths will be advised.
A common thing that we check is whether you have recently had any colds, flu or chronic congestion of sinuses and/or blocked ears. This can make it difficult to equalise the pressure in these spaces. Similar to the pressure changes when you fly in a plane, you may need to open your jaw or blow your blocked nose to equalise the pressure.
Our staff will take you through the procedure as well as be present during the pressurisation and depressurisation periods. It is good for you to know that you will have full access to the controls from within the chamber, so you will be able to start, stop and depressurise the chamber yourself.
There is also an intercom within the chamber with a loud call button should you need to call for assistance.
Treatment profiles
The amount of treatment you will need will depend on the condition and state of health. The following is a guide of what to expect depending on the condition.
Acute sprain or strain injury can depend on the injury, 5-10 sessions.
Post surgical recovery 2-3 sessions.
Inflammatory conditions 10-20 sessions for conditions such as Crohn’s disease, Irritaable Bowel Syndrome and Ulcerative Colitis.
Traumatic Brain Injury, Concussion, Stroke Treatments should be part of a comprehensive integrative approach that includes diet and lifestyle aspects. An initial appointment with one of our Osteopaths is recommended.
Have Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in your own home
The portable soft shell chamber offers the performance of our commercial grade chamber in the convenience of your own home.
This is ideal for lengthy treatment protocols, conditions such as traumatic brain injury/concussion or stroke recovery, which may require several sessions over weeks, or for those who would like to explore the benefits of optimised health and longevity.
Chamber Specifications:
Manufacturer: Macy Pan
Length: 225cm
Diameter: 800cm
Pressure: 1.5ATA
Oxygen Volume: 10L
Warranty:
Chambers come with the manufacturer’s 12 months parts replacement warranty for any quality problem or fault in material or design as long as it has been used with correct operation.
Delivery times can vary within New Zealand, we have stock in the country now.
