Overview
Hyperbaric oxygen therpy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. In an hyperbaric oxygen chamber, the air pressure is increased two to three times higher than normal air pressure. Under these conditions, your lungs can gather much more oxygen than would be possible breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure. When your blood carries this extra oxygen throughout your body, this helps fight bacteria, viruses, and inflammation and stimulate the release of substances called growth factors and stem cells, which promote healing.
Why it's done
Your body's tissues need an adequate supply of oxygen to function. When tissue is injured, it requires even more oxygen to survive. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the amount of oxygen your blood can carry. With repeated scheduled treatments, the temporary extra high oxygen levels encourage normal tissue oxygen levels, even after therapy is completed.
What you can expect
During therapy, the air pressure in the chamber is about two to three times the normal air pressure. The increased air pressure will create a temporary feeling of fullness in your ears- similar to what you might feel in an airplane or at a high elevation. You can relieve that feeling by yawning or swallowing.
Results
To benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy, you'll likely need more than one session. the number of sessions depends upon your condition and specific needs. To effectively treat the body right, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is usually part of a comprehensive treatment plan provided by the doctors at 34th Street Chiropractic and Wellness.