Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a cutting-edge, non-invasive treatment that delivers medical-grade oxygen in a pressurized chamber, allowing your body to absorb oxygen at levels far beyond what’s possible under normal conditions. This deep saturation helps accelerate healing, reduce inflammation, boost immune response, and enhance cellular repair.
How does oxygen therapy work?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an outpatient treatment that involves sitting in a pressurized chamber for about 90 minutes. The chamber contains air that’s 100% oxygen. Sitting in the chamber lets your lungs gather and absorb more oxygen so your body can heal quicker and better withstand infections. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the use of oxygen in a pressurized environment, at a level higher than 1 atmosphere absolute (ATA). Increased pressure allows for oxygen to dissolve and saturate the blood plasma (independent of hemoglobin/red blood cells), which yields a broad variety of positive physiological, biochemical and cellular effects. This noninvasive therapy is the most trusted way to increase oxygen levels to all organs of the body.
What types of medical issues can benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Oxygen therapy has been demonstrated in several clinical studies to enhance the body’s innate ability to repair and regenerate. It is used as an adjunct therapy to complement and enhance the healing process in both chronic and acute conditions. The Paradigm team uses hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat various medical conditions, including:
- Burns
- Severe bone and skin infections
- Diabetic ulcers and other open wounds
- Hearing loss
- Skin grafts
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Gangrene
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy promotes healing after accidents. So you might benefit if you run, play sports, or work a physically demanding job.
How does hyperbaric oxygen therapy promote healing?
Your body needs rest and oxygen to heal after an accident, illness, injury, or surgery. The regular atmosphere outside of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber contains about 20% oxygen. But the air the patient is breathing inside the chamber contains five times more.
As your body begins the healing process, it needs more oxygen. The increased oxygen inside the pressurized hyperbaric chamber helps your blood carry more oxygen to your damaged tissues. It also increases the transfer of white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting infection.
How do I prepare for hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Let your provider know if you take any prescription medication or have an implantable medical device, like a pacemaker. Certain devices and medications can interfere with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, so it’s important that the clinic is aware.
What happens during hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Each session occurs in a comfortable, pressurized chamber where you can relax, listen to music, or even nap. Our team monitors every session to ensure safety, comfort, and optimal results.
It’s normal for your ears to pop like they would on an airplane during the first 15-20 minutes. After one hour, the pressure will gradually decrease in the chamber. Feeling drowsy afterward is normal, so you might want to have a friend or family member drive you home.
Call Paradigm today to schedule a hyperbaric oxygen therapy appointment or book your visit online.