What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)?
HBOT is a medical treatment that uses oxygen and ambient pressure greater than sea level to treat a wide range of injuries and illnesses. But what exactly does it do, how does it work, and what does it treat?
The Procedure
HBOT is a non-invasive, and simply require patients to lie in pressurized hyperbaric chambers where they breathe in pure oxygen.
What It Does
By breathing in this high dose of pure oxygen, your body’s natural healing process is enhanced and cells, as well as damaged tissues, can stimulate repair and recovery.
What It Treats
As simple as the treatment may sound, it has shown promising results in a number of studies and treatments, including:
- Sports Injuries. Michael Phelps, LeBron James, and Tim Tebow have all endorsed the treatment. This comes down to how HBOT promotes active recovery from all the stress the body experiences during practice and competition. Watch a video of LeBron James doing hyperbaric oxygen therapy here.
- Diabetic Wounds. Diabetes affects over 10% of the population slowing down the wound healing process that results in amputations. With HBOT, patients can avoid amputation and help wounds heal much faster.
- And there is much more! The list includes, but is not limited to treating concussions, carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness (bends), gas gangrene, autism, cerebral palsy, migraines, recovery from plastic surgery, strokes, and traumatic brain injury.
