Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is known to enhance oxygen delivery to tissues, promote healing, and reduce inflammation. But what other advantages does hyperbaric oxygen therapy offer? This cutting-edge treatment option has been shown to improve patients’ quality of life in a variety of ways.
In this blog post, we walk through five unexpected benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy at Limb Preservation Center of East Tennessee. These include combating infections, improved energy levels, enhanced sleep quality, blood pressure regulation, and neurological benefits.
What Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Do to the Body?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing pure medical-grade oxygen at an elevated atmospheric pressure. The air we typically breathe is 21% oxygen, but HBOT is 100% oxygen. The pressurization allows your body to absorb more oxygen into the plasma, encouraging the growth of healthy new tissue where it’s needed and the growth of new blood vessels. At Limb Preservation Center of East Tennessee, we have two comfortable, hard-sided, monoplace hyperbaric chambers where we treat patients using HBOT.
The FDA approves HBOT treatment for a variety of conditions, including diabetic wounds, necrosis from radiation, and burns. However, there are additional benefits that HBOT can offer patients outside of their targeted condition. This includes:
- Combating Infections
- Improved Energy Levels
- Enhanced Sleep Quality
- Blood Pressure Regulation
- Neurological Benefits
Combating Infections
HBOT blocks bacterial toxins, which can be a game-changer for patients fighting certain infections. Oftentimes, the primary reason a wound won’t heal is due to a serious infection. Eliminating that infection can significantly speed up the healing process.
Outside of wounds, HBOT can play a role in treating infections in other parts of the body. It enhances the body’s immune response, helping boost the effectiveness of antibiotics and the treatment of conditions such as osteomyelitis (bone infections), necrotizing soft tissue infections, and certain types of chronic infections. Overall, HBOT creates an environment that inhibits the growth of bacteria and promotes faster recovery.
Improved Energy Levels
We have also observed improved energy levels in patients treated with HBOT. The increased oxygen in your tissues and organs can enhance cellular metabolism, leading to higher energy levels. Patients have shared that they feel more energetic after their treatments and capable of engaging in daily activities with ease.
One patient shared his experience with us:
“After several days, I started feeling more energetic, I have more stamina, while walking a mile every day, and my pulse is getting lower.”
Juan, Patient at Limb Preservation Center of East Tennessee
Enhanced Sleep Quality
In addition to boosting energy levels, HBOT has been linked to enhanced sleep quality. Many patients report deeper, more restful sleep after undergoing HBOT sessions. Because it helps reduce inflammation and pain, which are common disruptors of sleep, patients can enjoy more restorative sleep cycles.
Improved oxygen delivery to the brain also supports better regulation of sleep patterns, contributing to more consistent and high-quality sleep.
Blood Pressure Regulation
HBOT has also shown promise in controlling patients’ blood pressure. By improving oxygen flow throughout the body, HBOT helps keep blood vessels healthy and enhances overall circulation. This can lead to more stable blood pressure levels, offering relief to those struggling with hypertension (high blood pressure).
Neurological Benefits
By increasing oxygen levels in the brain, HBOT can help to improve memory, focus, and overall mental clarity. Patients recovering from brain injuries, strokes, and other neurological conditions have reported feeling more alert and mentally sharp after HBOT sessions. There have also been studies into the benefits of HBOT for improving mental health conditions.
What Are The Benefits of Hard-Sided vs. Soft-Sided Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Soft-sided HBOT chambers, such as inflatable or portable ones, have increased in popularity in recent years. However, it’s important to note that these are not medical devices and they do not provide the same benefits as hard-sided chambers.
Our hard-sided monoplace chambers create a safe and controlled environment where pressure levels can be precisely regulated, ensuring each patient receives the best possible treatment.
In addition to better therapeutic benefits, hard-sided chambers offer greater safety and comfort compared to their soft-sided counterparts. When you choose HBOT at Limb Preservation Center of East Tennessee, you know you’re getting cutting-edge equipment and treatment from our expert wound care providers.
How Often Should You Do Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Unfortunately, the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy aren’t always apparent after just one treatment. Depending on what you are being treated for and whether it is covered by insurance will help determine the treatment plan from Dr. Hutchings and our team.
To maximize the benefits of HBOT, we recommend that most patients come for 40 treatment sessions. However, some patients choose to start with 10 treatments and reevaluate. Each session typically lasts 60-90 minutes depending on your individual needs, and patients tend to come in the mornings or afternoons on Monday through Friday.
This has yielded remarkable results for patients like Juan, who never missed or rescheduled any treatments over a six-week period.
“On March 19th, [2024], I finished my 40th treatment with HBOT indicated for my condition. At the beginning, I was very anxious, for several days my blood pressure went up minutes before going in. Then I started trusting the people in charge and feeling more comfortable. I started adapting to the process of going in and out and also decompressing my ears. After several days, I started feeling more energetic, I have more stamina, while walking a mile every day, and my pulse is getting lower. I think HBOT is very beneficial for the treatment of many conditions and hope that in the near future it will be approved as prevention in many more conditions.”
Juan, Patient at Limb Preservation Center of East Tennessee
Start Your Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Journey
Whether you’re looking to start HBOT to heal a chronic wound, or you’re interested in the unexpected benefits of this advanced therapy, contact us today! We’d be happy to arrange a comprehensive chronic wound evaluation with our board-certified provider, Dr. Heather Hutchings, to see if you’re a good fit for HBOT.
Ready to start your HBOT journey? Contact us today to schedule a consultation and determine if you’re a good candidate!
Limb Preservation Center of East Tennessee is the newest and most advanced wound care practice in Lenoir City, Tennessee. Are you looking for experienced wound care that’s convenient and near home? Call Limb Preservation Center of East Tennessee at 865-770-5462 or request an appointment online to arrange a comprehensive chronic wound evaluation with our wound healing experts.
