The healing process requires oxygen to work effectively. When damaged or diseased tissue does not receive enough oxygen normally, such as with crush injuries or in patients with poor circulation, healing can be delayed or prevented. Medical-grade hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) supports healing and performance by dramatically increasing the amount of oxygen your body can absorb.
The Healing Process of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Unlike hard- or soft-sided mild chambers that are not FDA-approved and deliver ambient air (about 27 percent oxygen), our medical-grade hyperbaric chambers deliver 100 percent FDA-approved medical-grade oxygen.
Why is that important? Because only medical-grade hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing an exceptionally high level of oxygen inside a specially pressurized chamber. This pressure is greater than normal atmospheric pressure, which allows your lungs to take in far more oxygen than you could by breathing normally.
That oxygen is then dissolved into your plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, lymph, and other body fluids, reaching tissues and areas with restricted blood flow, including damaged or inflamed areas. This extra oxygen has several beneficial effects:
- Supports the healing process
- Carries oxygen to damaged areas where it may be lacking
- Stimulates the natural ability to fight infection
How HBOT Treatments Support Healing
Because medical-grade hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides a way for enough oxygen to reach injured tissue, it boosts the body’s ability to heal itself in several ways:
- Fibroblasts, the body’s repair cells that create collagen, need oxygen to migrate to wounds and produce new connective tissue. The same is true for osteoblasts, repair cells that build new bone.
- Angiogenesis is the growth of new blood vessels. Our medical-grade hyperbaric oxygen therapy stimulates this growth at wound sites, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to the injury for faster healing.
- Medical-grade HBOT increases oxygenation (how much oxygen is in the blood) and perfusion (how well oxygen moves through the capillaries to the body’s tissues).
- Medical-grade HBOT stimulates the production of white blood cells, the front line in the body’s fight against infection.
- HBOT kills harmful bacteria that require an anaerobic (no-oxygen) environment to survive. This means the oxygen provided by HBOT directly kills some infections, which also supports the work the white blood cells are doing to remove the infection.
- The effectiveness of antibiotics may increase with higher oxygen levels in the body.
HBOT for Athletic Performance
To stay at the top of their game, athletes are looking to bounce back faster, gain a sharper focus, and maximize their physical potential. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be used to enhance recovery, reduce downtime, and boost performance:
- Speeding muscle recovery: Reduces delayed onset muscle soreness and accelerates the repair of microtears after intense training
- Reducing inflammation: Particularly beneficial after injury or overtraining
- Improving cellular metabolism: More oxygen means more efficient ATP (energy) production for muscle performance and endurance
- Supporting faster healing: Whether it’s a sprain, strain, or fracture, tissues heal more quickly with increased oxygenation
- Enhancing mental clarity: Better oxygen to the brain can sharpen cognitive performance, improve focus, and reduce fatigue
- Shortening recovery windows: Critical in high-demand competition schedules with multiple games
Medical-Grade HBOT for Patient Recovery
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is about jump-starting the healing process and improving quality of life, especially when conventional therapies aren’t enough. For patients recovering from injury, illness, or surgery, medical-grade HBOT works to accelerate healing:
- Enhancing oxygen delivery: Speeding repair for damaged tissues and in areas with poor circulation, such as wounds, surgical sites, or areas with swelling
- Reducing inflammation: Helps moderate the body’s immune response, easing pain and improving mobility
- New blood vessel growth: Aids long-term tissue regeneration and supports angiogenesis
- Fighting infection: High-oxygen environments are hostile to certain bacteria and help white blood cells kill microbes more effectively
- Mobilizing stem cells: Encourages the release of stem cells from bone marrow to accelerate recovery
- Improving brain oxygenation: Supports neuroplasticity and healing in traumatic brain injuries, stroke, or post-traumatic stress disorder
Frequently Asked Questions
How effective is HBOT?
Our medical-grade hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments are an effective treatment for various conditions, including carbon monoxide poisoning, radiation exposure, decompression sickness, and more. HBOT can also treat conditions affecting specific body parts, such as stroke, chronic wounds, and sports injuries. Some studies have shown that HBOT can improve cognitive function and memory in people with Alzheimer’s disease, and it may improve the quality of life in cancer patients.
Where can I receive medical-grade HBOT treatment?
For your temporary or long-term HBOT staffing and technology needs, our mobile hyperbaric centers come to you, eliminating travel for treatments. Each mobile unit is designed to fit your needs and can include your choice of one or two FDA-approved, medical-grade hyperbaric chambers. These hard-sided hyperbaric chambers are expertly engineered to ensure maximum safety and superior outcomes. And, unlike soft-sided/inflatable chambers – which are never recommended because they pose serious safety concerns – our FDA-approved HBOT technology has proved to be very safe and effective.
How often should I undergo HBOT?
It depends on what you’re using HBOT for. If you’re using it to treat a specific condition, consult your doctor about how often you should undergo HBOT treatment
Can I take my phone into a hyperbaric chamber?
No. Cell phones and other electronic devices are not allowed inside the hyperbaric chamber. Each chamber has a phone so you and the technician administering the treatment can easily communicate. Each chamber has a television as well. Some people listen to music or podcasts, study, or even sleep.
What training do the technicians have?
Our hyperbaric technicians have a depth of experience in hyperbaric oxygen therapy. These professionals include board-certified hyperbaric medicine physicians and certified technicians. Becoming a hyperbaric technician involves a medical certification followed by extensive training in hyperbaric oxygen therapy. We recognize certified hyperbaric technologist (CHT) received through the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society (UHMS) and Certified Hyperbaric Wound Specialist (CHWS) received through the American Board of Wound Healing (ABWH). All hyperbaric professionals, regardless of which certification they hold must take a 40-hour training course and complete several hundred hours of clinical oversight before exam eligibility. Ongoing training is required for certification maintenance.
What should the technician know about the patient before administering HBOT?
Before starting HBOT, the technician needs to know about the patient’s medical history, including any current illnesses or injuries, as well as any medications they are taking. The technician must also be aware of the patient’s blood pressure and heart rate.
How are patients referred for HBOT treatment?
Either self-referrals from patients or physician referrals are acceptable. Our staff assesses patients to determine their unique needs before providing care. Please contact us at 888-567-4302 to set up an assessment.
How Can HBOT Help You?
Get in touch with us to learn more about how NexGen Hyperbaric can support better healing for you.