Indications/Conditions shown to benefit through the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
ONTARIO HBOT WELCOMES ANY INDIVIDUAL INTERESTED IN PURSUING HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY, AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT OPTION. WE ARE PREPARED TO CONSULT, QUALIFY AND TREAT MOST LABELED AND OFF-LABEL CONDITIONS SHOWN TO BENEFIT FROM HBOT.
Stroke
There are over 50,000 strokes in Canada each year. That’s one stroke every 10 minutes. 80% of strokes are ischemic caused by the interruption of blood flow to the brain due to a blood clot. Blood (hemoglobin) is the main carrier of oxygen. In normal situations hemoglobin is 97% to 98% saturated with oxygen.
The lack of oxygen to the brains cell causes the cells to swell and ultimately break-down and allow fluid to move into the surrounding tissue, damaging previously “normal” cells. As this process continues, so does the damage resulting in a condition referred to as ischemic penumbra. Ischemic penumbra, contributed up to 85% of the disability resulting from stroke. By oxygenating the of the areas surrounding the damaged neurons, you are limiting further brain damage by improving cerebral oxygenation, relieve brain edema, prevents further blood clotting and reduces neuronal swelling. Though the use of HBO therapy these parts of the brain can heal and reestablish the brains lost connections.
Some reported benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a treatment for stroke:
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease consists of spirochetes which are invasive bacteria. Spirochetes have a head on both ends, allowing them the ability to burrow into the organ or muscle and sporactically change direction causing further damage. They also have the ability to take on the protein covering of one's body, thereby disguising it from the body's defense mechanisms. We have found that the spirochetes do not like 100% oxygen under a deep pressure. The deep pressure forces the oxygen into the fluids of the body as well as the tissues of the muscles and organs. It is even more effective when the spirochetes are going through their reproductive cycle and that is when we like to hit them hard. Spirochetes, on the other hand can survive and multiply in a slightly higher (than room air) oxygen content with a lower pressure. Some will be killed, but the survivors will get used to the oxygen and thrive. They are facultative anaerobes: An organism that can live in the absence as well as in the presence of atmospheric oxygen.
When treating Lyme disease in a hyperbaric chamber with 100% oxygen at a deeper ATA. Doing one 60 minute treatment a day, five days a week for 40 treatments catches the spirochetes during at least two of the cycles and, what was not destroyed during the first will hopefully be killed during the second cycle.
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Health Canada and the FDA approved uses of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Air or Gas Embolism
An air embolism, or more generally gas embolism, is a physiological condition caused by gas bubbles in a vascular system. The most common context is a human body, in which case it refers to gas bubbles in the bloodstream (embolism in a medical context refers to any large moving mass or defect in the blood stream). However air embolisms may also occur in the xylem of vascular plants, especially when suffering from water stress.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after the inhalation of carbon monoxide (CO). Carbon monoxide is a significantly toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect. Carbon monoxide is a product of combustion of organic matter with insufficient oxygen supply and is often produced in domestic or industrial settings by motor vehicles and other gasoline-powered tools, heaters, and cooking equipment.
Clostridal Myositis and Myonecrosis (Gas Gangrene)
Myonecrosis is a condition of necrotic damage, specifically to muscle tissue. It is often seen in infections with Clostridium perfringens or any of myriad soil-borne anaerobic bacteria. Bacteria cause myonecrosis via specific exotoxins. These microorganisms are opportunistic and generally enter the body via significant skin breakage. In wartime particularly, the unhygienic conditions and frequent gross injuries meant that gangrenous infection of soil-borne bacteria was particularly prevalent. Indeed mankind has long suffered the ill-effects of gangrenous infections throughout history.
Crush Injury, Compartment Syndrome, and other Acute Traumatic Ischemias
Compartment syndrome is an acute medical problem following injury, surgery or in most cases repetitive and extensive muscle use, in which increased pressure (usually caused by inflammation) within a confined space (fascial compartment) in the body impairs blood supply. Without prompt surgical treatment, it may lead to nerve damage and muscle death. This condition is most commonly seen in the anterior compartment and posterior compartment of the leg.
Decompression Sickness
Describes a condition arising from the precipitation of dissolved gasses into bubbles inside the body on depressurisation. DCS most commonly refers to a specific type of scuba diving hazard but may be experienced in other depressurisation events such as caisson working, flying in unpressurised aircraft and extra-vehicular activity from spacecraft.
Enhancement of Healing in Selected Problem Wounds
A wound that does not heal in an orderly set of stages and in a predictable amount of time the way most wounds do; wounds that do not heal within three months are often considered chronic. Chronic wounds seem to be detained in one or more of the phases of wound healing. Chronic wounds may never heal or may take years to do so. These wounds cause patients severe emotional and physical stress as well as creating a significant financial burden on patients and the whole healthcare system.
Exceptional Blood Loss (Anemia)
Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood. There are several kinds of anemia, produced by a variety of underlying causes. Since hemoglobin (found inside RBCs) normally carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, anemia leads to hypoxia (lack of oxygen) in organs. Since all human cells depend on oxygen for survival, varying degrees of anemia can have a wide range of clinical consequences.
Intracranial Abscess
is an abscess caused by inflammation and collection of infected material, coming from local (ear infection, dental abscess, infection of paranasal sinuses, infection of the mastoid air cells of the temporal bone, epidural abscess) or remote (lung, heart, kidney etc.) infectious sources, within the brain tissue. The infection may also be introduced through a skull fracture following a head trauma or surgical procedures.
Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
Are commensal organisms in humans, living predominantly in the mouth, skin, gastrointestinal, and urinary tracts, and compose a portion of the bacterial gut flora. Under immunosuppressed or traumatic conditions these organisms can become pathogenic, as well as septicemic, harming their host. Necrotizing infections can cause brain, liver, breast, and lung abscesses, as well as generalized necrotizing soft tissue infections.
Osteomyelitis (Refractory)
An infection of bone or bone marrow with a propensity for progression.
Delayed Radiation Injury (Soft Tissue and Bony Necrosis)
A form of damage to organ tissue due to excessive exposure to ionizing radiation. Radiation exposure can also increase the probability of contracting some other diseases, mainly cancer, tumours, and genetic damage.
Skin Grafts & Flaps (Compromised)
A type of medical grafting involving the transplantation of skin. Extensive wounding or trauma, Burns, Areas of prior infection with extensive skin loss and Specific surgeries that may require skin grafts for healing to occur.
Thermal Burns
Thermal burns are the most common type. Thermal burns occur when hot metals, scalding liquids, steam, or flames come in contact with your skin. These are frequently the result of fires, automobile accidents, playing with matches, improperly stored gasoline, space heaters, and electrical malfunctions.
Some of the over 150 "off-label" conditions, where HBOT has been found to be beneficial:
Candida, Bell's Palsy, Buerger's Disease, Burns, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Cellulitis, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Fatigue, Collagen Diseases Compartment Syndrome, Cosmetic Surgery Post-Op, Chronic Cystitis, Crohn's Disease, Crush Injury, Dental Surgery, Diverticulitis, Eczema, Encephalitis, Fibromyalgia, Fractures (Aids Healing), Head Injuries, Herpes: Simplex and Zoster, Immune Deficient Diseases, Infections (Difficult Inflammation), Lupus, Lyme, Necrotizing Fasciitis, Nerve Injury & Inflammation, Oral Inflammation, Oral Surgery (Post-Op), Organic Brain Syndrome, Osteomyelitis, Parkinson's disease, Early Peripheral Arterial Disease, Peripheral Nuropathy, Pityriasis Rosea, Prostatitis, Radiation Injury, Retinal Artery Occlusion, Rheumatoid Arthritis, , Psoriasis, RSD, Scleroderma, Shingles, Sports Injuries, Stroke Rehabilitation, Surgery Post-Op, Tendon & Ligament Injuries, Ulcerative Colitis, Venomous Bites, Wounds
Off-label
Refers to the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for treatment indications that have not yet been approved by the FDA for marketing purposes. The decisions regarding FDA approval of treatment indications for HBOT have typically been made based upon the recommendations of the UHMS (Undersea Hyperbaric Medical Society). The use of HBOT for non-approved treatment indications does not mean that it is dangerous or invalid.