Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: Your Complete Guide To This Unconventional Wellness Too

As a functional medicine expert, I am always on the lookout for new ways to facilitate healing without the need for invasive interventions. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a tool that has been used for decades but has become increasingly popular in both conventional and holistic medicine  in recent years for its unique approach in aiding a variety of health conditions including anemia, exercise recovery, and wound healing. But is it beneficial for everyone? Read on to learn more about hyperbaric oxygen therapy, what it is, its benefits, and whether or not this therapy is right for you.

What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing 100% pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber that can hold anywhere between 1-3 people. During a session, you sit inside this sealed chamber while the pressure inside is gradually increased, allowing your body to take in a significantly higher concentration of oxygen than normal atmospheric conditions, which is approximately only 20%. 

How does hyperbaric oxygen therapy work?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy operates on the fundamental principle that your body’s cells need oxygen to function optimally. The pressurized oxygen environment amplifies the oxygenation of tissues, therefore accelerating the body's ability to repair and regenerate. This process stimulates the production of growth factors and stem cells to reduce inflammation and promote tissue repair - two of the biggest driving forces of healing. Due to hyperbaric oxygen therapy’s clinically proven ability to boost your body’s natural healing capabilities, the FDA has approved (1) HBOT for a variety of conditions, including:

• Air or gas embolism (when there is air or gas bubbles in your blood vessels)
• Anemia
• Blunt trauma injury (crashes or other similar forms of physical trauma)
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Decompression sickness (often caused by diving)
• Gas gangrene
• Hearing loss
• Radiation injury
• Skin grafts
• Wounds and other skin and bone infections

Benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy

While research is continuing to learn more about hyperbaric oxygen therapy, these are the conditions that are supported by the largest body of clinical research and have shown the most improvement through HBOT.

1. Supports wound healing

Most of the studies surrounding wound healing and HBOT are in relation to diabetic ulcers, non-healing wounds, and burns. For example, a recent study published in the journal Advances In Skin and Wound Care (2) found that out of the total number of individuals with non-healing wounds that participated in regular HBOT sessions, 61% experienced total wound healing and 22% experienced at least partial healing. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has also been found in other studies (3) to have powerful antimicrobial effects and can even increase the effectiveness of certain antibiotics that can positively influence wound healing.

2. Improves cognitive function

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has shown a lot of promise for supporting a variety of neurological conditions like traumatic brain injury, (4) stroke, (5) and multiple sclerosis (6) due to its role in lowering oxidative stress and reducing inflammation in the brain. 

3. Enhances recovery

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike have been flocking to hyperbaric oxygen therapy to improve performance for its ability to alleviate pain and enhance (7) post-exercise recovery from muscular injuries.

4. Alleviates chronic pain

Multiple studies have shown the positive impact of HBOT on chronic pain related conditions including fibromyalgia. One 2023 clinical review (8) of 9 studies found that hyperbaric oxygen therapy was able to improve overall pain levels, tender areas, and associated symptoms like sleep disturbances and fatigue in those with this autoimmune condition.

5. Boosts immune function

Even though the exact mechanisms behind hyperbaric oxygen therapy and immune function are still being studied, HBOT has next-level antiviral properties and is believed to help improve the function of white blood cells - the primary cells of your immune system responsible for helping your body fight off infections. In fact, new research is currently being done on HBOT for COVID-19 (9) and HIV/AIDS. (10)

Things to consider

Although hyperbaric oxygen therapy is generally safe for most people, with little to no series side effects, the elevated pressure and high oxygen levels can lead to complications for some individuals, including:

• Middle ear injuries
• Ear and sinus pain
• Vision changes
• Collapsed lungs
• Oxygen toxicity

However, it is important to note that when done in a proper facility by trained providers, these complications are very rare. Be sure to talk with your doctor before trying HBOT so they can help determine if you have any underlying conditions that may put you at risk for any of these complications.

The Takeaway

In functional medicine, we aim to address the underlying cause behind your health problems instead of just focusing on treating your symptoms. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy stands in alignment with that mission through its ability to promote your body’s innate ability to heal itself from the inside-out. From its demonstrated efficacy in a variety of health problems to the ongoing research as a therapy for many other conditions, I believe this complementary therapy is worth exploring for anyone looking to elevate their health.

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