Physiological Benefits
The Physiological Benefits of HBOT have been shown to help:
Improve Energy Levels and Tissue Function
The highly active human body is dependent on a steady supply of oxygen to let it produce enough cellular energy (referred to as ATP) for all of its metabolic requirements. In essence, ATP serves as the body’s currency for energy; the more of it there is, the more the body can “spend,” and oxygen directly affects how much cellular ATP is made.
Simply defined, HBOT gives the body a larger-than-normal supply of oxygen, which allows for the production of more energy throughout all of the body’s metabolically active cells and tissues.
All of us are affected by Atherosclerosis, the narrowing and hardening of the arteries. As we age, the effects become much more prominent. The rate and flow of oxygen tend to decrease correspondingly as the blood arteries become more constricted. Low energy levels and a general inclination to “slow down” are the effects. HBOT can significantly increase cellular energy levels, making it a potentially effective treatment for this age-related condition.
This additional oxygen may provide the “critical extra energy” necessary for tissue repair and function in injured tissue.
Long-term advantages might also result from the body’s ability to expand the number of locations where ATP is made. HBOT has been demonstrated to promote mitochondrial biogenesis and further the creation of cells to produce ATP. These internal regions of the cells are known as mitochondria.
Supporting Studies
Regenerate Tissue
New Tissue
Simply defined, HBOT gives the body a larger-than-normal supply of oxygen, which allows for the production of more energy throughout all of the body’s metabolically active cells and tissues.
1. Fibroblast Activation: The cells that lay down collagen and are crucial for collagen synthesis are referred to as fibroblasts. Hyperbaric oxygen increases fibroblast activation and hence plays an important role in the treatment of non-healing wounds.
2. Stem Cell Mobilization: In-depth studies and financing in regenerative medicine have centered on stem cell treatment. The bone marrow can be strongly stimulated by HBOT to create more stem cells. These cells can then go through the bloodstream and end up in several locations where they are desired.
Hyperbaric oxygen treatment can be a powerful activator of Neurogenesis (new brain cells), especially after brain injuries or movement disorders, according to an exciting advancement in clinical research. Every other tissue and organ can profit from this process up to and including the bones (osteogenesis, new bone production).
Another intriguing breakthrough is in the area of regenerative medicine, where stem cell treatments (like PRP) and hyperbaric oxygen therapy are effectively combined. HBOT promotes and enhances development and transplanting after the treatment, as well as aids in increasing the number of stem cells extracted before the procedure.
Additionally, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been shown to accelerate wound healing and injury repair. The soft tissue restored with this treatment has also been shown to be significantly stronger and more tensile. This can have a significant effect, especially on athletes or those who are more prone to reinjuring the same tissue.
It has been demonstrated that repeated HBOT exposures trigger a potent parasympathetic response. During periods of digestion, relaxation, and repair, this is the area of the nervous system that is in use. HBOT has been shown to stimulate the body’s natural environment for tissue repair and regeneration, which is in addition to the many advantages it offers for these processes.
New Blood Vessels
Helping the body produce new blood vessels is another important therapeutic advantage of hyperbaric therapy; this can offer long-term circulatory benefits that are essential for recovery from diseases, particularly in those that affect the tiny blood vessels (and are frequently noted in):
- Chronic and non-healing wounds
- Brain injuries
- Heart attacks
- Diabetes
- The aging process (Atherosclerotic plaque can accumulate throughout aging inside older blood arteries, reducing blood flow. HBOT assists in the body’s natural attempts to develop new blood arteries and natural bypasses)
The following 2 processes have been connected to HBOT’s function in encouraging the body to produce new blood vessels:
2. Vasculogenesis: This is an incredible additional advantage of HBOT, where blood vessels are essentially created “from scratch” (referred to as “de novo” in medical terminology). This is accomplished through HBOT’s capacity to encourage the bone marrow to develop fresh stem cells, in this instance blood vessel cells.
Supporting Studies
Reduce Inflammation
- Acute (or very recent) inflammatory disorders, such as acute pancreatitis, can be fatal, making its effects on health potentially life-saving.
- Chronic (or long-term) inflammation, which has been linked to a broad range of health issues, including heart and circulatory illness (arterial inflammation), Alzheimer’s disease, and even the development of cancer.
Supporting Studies
Reduce Pain
Numerous studies have clearly shown that following hyperbaric operations pain is significantly reduced. Patients from all around the world who had similar and substantial pain alleviation after HBOT have corroborated this.
The majority of the research suggests that this therapeutic effect’s primary mechanism is its anti-inflammatory properties. The relevance cannot be overstated given that 1/5th of North Americans are reportedly affected by inflammatory-related pain conditions. Add to this the rising number of people who are receiving NSAIDS prescriptions but either are unable to handle the medications or are putting themselves at risk for long-term dangers from continued use. These drugs are being used more often and for lengthier periods than ever before due to the increase in baby boomers and life expectancy.
There is now growing evidence that HBOT has an opioid-like impact. This underlying mechanism may contribute to the potent and striking pain-relieving benefits of HBOT that have been carefully studied in clinical trials. This can help us fully grasp the possibilities of HBOT in pain management techniques.
Supporting Studies
Improve and Enhance Immune Functioning
White blood cells make up the immune system (WBCs). These cells have a number of important jobs within the body, one of which is to combat infections. They accomplish this through an oxygen-dependent process known as phagocytosis. WBCs envelop and then destroy invading organisms in this manner. The deadly impact is accomplished by turning oxygen into hazardous chemicals known as oxy-radicals. HBOT has been proven to improve phagocytosis, assisting the body in killing and warding off pathogens.
HBOT also helps with a process known as apoptosis (or programmed cell death). More vulnerable cells (such as old age, poorly functioning immune cells or cancer cells) are essentially driven to “commit suicide” to make space for fresher ones. This has also been demonstrated to be a significant element in the resolution of inflammation and chronic wounds.
High enough oxygen dosages (as produced in high-pressure oxygen chambers) can generate extremely high levels of oxygen radicals. These chemicals can directly destroy microorganisms, particularly anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that cannot thrive in the presence of oxygen).
Supporting Studies
Protect the Body
Each cell in your body has an inbuilt antioxidant mechanism that allows it to safeguard its crucial core (DNA). These antioxidants are known as ‘endogenous’ antioxidants because they are created by the body to deal with the ongoing stress that it is subjected to daily.
Merely breathing creates a large amount of stress on every cell, known as metabolic stress. Oxygen reacts with carbon (from the food you consume) to provide the body with the cellular energy (ATP) required for survival and function. However, this process produces hazardous byproducts. This natural antioxidant system protects every cell. Our cells would not be able to withstand the act of breathing without them!
In recent decades, our bodies’ cells have been subjected to unprecedented amounts of stressors, including fast food, vehicle pollution, cigarette smoke, and industrial toxins, to mention a few. As they continue to overpower our natural and built-in antioxidant system, our delicate DNA becomes less protected from these assaults, and disease states may ensue. This has led to major push for nutritional antioxidant supplementation to combat chronic disorders.
HBOT causes a significant and rapid increase in the endogenous antioxidant system. Glutathione peroxidase, Catalase, and Superoxide Dismutase have been shown to increase intracellularly in practically all metabolically active tissue after HBOT exposure. This can provide improved cellular protection against both present and future exposure:
2. Future Exposure: This is an intriguing and exciting area of HBOT research because of its potential therapeutic function in reducing tissue damage caused by major traumas or disease states (like those seen following heart attacks, strokes, car accidents, liver damage, etc). Many of these experiments included preconditioning an organ (such as the brain) with HBOT and then subjecting it to an injury (such as a stroke) and observing the resulting damage. The investigations indicated that HBOT has an overall protective effect with substantially less damage in individuals preconditioned with hyperbaric treatment. Consider the clinical consequences of illness and aging.
