Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Regain Brain Function and Cognitive Health with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) available in our Hollister office.

Did you know that people all over the world have recovered from a variety of health conditions and experienced dramatic improvements in a wide range of symptoms by using hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Works
Your brain and body require an adequate supply of oxygen to function optimally. Whenever you receive an injury, you need increased oxygen to help repair the damaged tissues. That’s where HBOT can help.

HBOT is a noninvasive treatment that involves breathing 100% pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. It allows your lungs to take in up to 3 times more oxygen than they do when breathing at normal air pressure. The increased oxygen is picked up via the bloodstream and transported to damaged tissues to facilitate the healing process.

Many Health Conditions Benefit from HBOT
HBOT can be used to treat any condition that benefits from making extra oxygen available to the body’s tissues or the brain. Although it is better known for helping with wound healing, carbon monoxide poisoning, burns, and decompression sickness, HBOT can also help with a number of issues related to brain health. (See sidebar.) It has also been used to help fight infections and to boost the immune system.

Technology and Research Support the Benefits
Brain SPECT is an imaging technology that measures blood flow and activity in the brain. Its imaging studies have found that HBOT benefits the brain in several ways:
• Increases blood flow which can help improve health
SPECT scans reveal that low blood flow is commonly linked to mental health/brain health issues, such as ADD/ADHD, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, addictions, and more. In fact, low blood flow is the #1 brain imaging predictor that an individual will develop Alzheimer’s disease.

• Improves health in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Low blood flow is also linked to ASD. A 2009 study showed that children with autism who underwent HBOT significantly improved in overall functioning, eye contact, social interactions, cognitive and sensory awareness, and receptive language. 

• Improves cognitive and psychological function after a concussion 
One study from 2017 showed that military veterans who had blast-induced concussions and underwent HBOT showed improvements in memory, attention, anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, intelligence quotient, and more.

• Improves PTSD following a traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) increase the risk of several mental health/brain health conditions, including ADD/ADHD, anxiety and panic attacks, PTSD, suicide, and more. According to research, treating the underlying TBI with concentrated oxygen can promote the healing process.
• Improves brain metabolism in Alzheimer’s Disease
A 2019 brain imaging study involving SPECT and PET scans is the first to document improvements in brain metabolism in a 58-year-old woman patient with Alzheimer’s disease. Her cognitive function had been declining for 5 years. After 40 sessions of HBOT, she reported better moods, a boost in energy, and better ability to perform routine tasks. Her concentration, memory, sleep, and ability to use the computer also improved, while her disorientation, frustration, and her anxiety diminished. The brain scans showed 6.5-38% improvement in overall brain metabolism, prompting the researchers to suggest HBOT could be a potential therapy for Alzheimer’s patients.