Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a powerful, effective and natural way to improve overall health and support the treatment of numerous conditions.
Not a lot of people think they need oxygen therapy – especially as oxygen is naturally available, everywhere. However, if your blood isn’t delivering enough oxygen to your cells or if you have a condition in which your body requires extra oxygen, it could be time to consider hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).
How Does It Work?
In a HBOT 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 (97% oxygen in the chamber versus 21% oxygen in normal air).
Lie back, relax and just breathe.
The Benefits Of HBOT:
- Optimal Cellular Health
When your blood carries this extra oxygen throughout your body, the absorption of oxygen into tissues and cells is increased – enabling the higher expression of growth factors, the formation of new blood vessels and a reduction in inflammation. - Healing Wounds
As wounds need oxygen to regenerate tissues properly, HBOT can accelerates this process. The application of HBOT in this field is quite extensive, comprising microbial-infected wounds, traumatic wounds, thermal burns, skin grafts, radiation-induced wounds and diabetic and vascular insufficiency ulcers. - Immune Response
Additionally, HBOT enhances the antimicrobial effects of the immune system and so is a useful procedure against different infections, particularly deep and chronic infections such as necrotizing fasciitis, osteomyelitis, chronic soft tissue infections and infective endocarditis. The anti-inflammation property of HBOT has demonstrated that it plays a significant role in decreasing tissue damage and infection expansion. - Chronic Conditions
Research has also demonstrated the potential of HBOT in the management of autoimmune diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis), inflammatory conditions (such as colitis) and musculoskeletal dysfunctions (such as fibromyalgia). HBOT reduces inflammation in the joints and the intestine and stimulates cartilage in joints to regrow. Additionally, accumulating evidence supports the role of HBOT in the inhibition of tumor growth (the high oxygen environment restricts cancer growth) and radiotherapy and chemotherapy success by improving healing and boosting the immune system. - Anti-Aging
Finally, the use of HBOT could also be potentially extended to slowing down aging. Studies have shown hyperbaric oxygen can increase telomere length. Telomeres are the protective caps on the ends of the strands of DNA called chromosomes, which house our genomes. In young humans, telomeres are about 8,000-10,000 nucleotides long. They shorten with each cell division, however, and when they reach a critical length the cell stops dividing or dies. Hyperbaric oxygen can also support the clearance of damaged immune cells (that would otherwise spread tissue damage and rapid aging across other body organs and systems). In addition, it was recently demonstrated that HBOT can induce cognitive enhancements in healthy aging adults as a result of changes in cerebral blood flow.
What Can You Expect At Your Session?
- HBOT is a simple, relaxing, non-invasive, and painless treatment. You may read a book, meditate, sleep, listen to music or simply relax and enjoy the session.
- There are no clothing restrictions for use of the chamber, but it is advisable to wear something loose and comfortable.
- For ideal results, we encourage 60-minute bi-weekly sessions. With repeated scheduled treatments, the temporary extra high oxygen levels encourage normal tissue oxygen levels, even after the therapy is completed.
- Allow an additional 5-10 minutes of decompression time at the end of your session.
This article is from Expand Health. We are very excited to have partnered with Expand Health. They have taken over the entire downstairs area of the IHA clinic. Together we have set up what we believe is South Africa’s first comprehensive Lifestyle Medicine centre. This has health machines that vary from a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to infrared lights. We would love you to come in for a tour of what we offer and a free trial of one of these machines that are designed to reduce inflammation and improve health. We believe that Lifestyle medicine centres like this will become key drives of optimal health in the future.
Please drop in or book your tour on 021 4342564.
