Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: What is it and 5 Benefits

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) isn’t a fad; it’s here to stay and will get even more popular for very good reason – because it works. HBOT is approved by the US FDA for hearing, skin and bone conditions, among others, and while the UK is behind the US in adopting it, the NHS now has retained HBOT services across the UK for adult and paediatric patients. Developed from deep-sea diving technology and once the preserve of billionaires, it feels like hyperbaric (pronounced ‘hyper-baric’) oxygen therapy chambers are popping up everywhere on British high streets, from health clinics and Premier League football clubs to England Rugby training camps and the homes of celebrities including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Mayim Bialik, and Gary Barlow… to name a few!

Gordon Lott was invited to trial hyperbaric oxygen therapy at HybO2 in Winchester, one of Europe’s leading HBOT clinics, and learn what all the hype is about.

What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the process of breathing 96% oxygen in a high-pressure chamber, which has been proven to treat skin conditions, inflammation and a range of chronic illnesses, including long COVID. Normal air we breathe has 20% oxygen, and breathing higher concentrated oxygen under higher atmospheric pressure increases the amount of oxygen delivered to tissues all across the body, from the ends of our fingers to our toes. Higher oxygen levels increase the body’s ability to restore and heal and for cell division to occur, which is fundamental to tissue growth, particularly during the body’s recovery process after strenuous exercise, infection, injury, or surgery.

What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy used for?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an emerging area of health treatment for lots of conditions, but there are some areas where it is already extensively used and recommended by the NHS. These include the healing of skin wounds such as surgical scars, skin grafts and burns; treating bacterial infections such as gangrene; and improving blood circulation, which in turn supports muscle recovery and energy and is one reason why Premier League football teams and England Rugby use HBOT.

What can't hyperbaric oxygen therapy do?

Many of the potential benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy that people talk about are still unproven at a clinical scientific level. However, there are lots of areas of promise where hyperbaric oxygen therapy is being studied, and more research is in the process of being undertaken given the positive results. These include using HBOT to help treat sleep disorders including insomnia and sleep apnoea; supporting patients recovering from a stroke or brain injury; treating autism; and helping combat hair loss and the effects of anti-ageing.

5 Hyperbaric oxygen therapy benefits

As the team at HYBO2 in Winchester say, hyperbaric oxygen therapy offers a plethora of health benefits, but doesn’t target a specific disease, disorder or ailment. The simple process of breathing in 96% oxygen under higher pressure provides a range of benefits, including:

1. Increased blood flow and blood circulation. 

Our body’s tissues can decay from a lack of properly oxygenated blood, so the higher oxygenation of blood helps deliver oxygen to parts of the body, from your fingertips and hair follicles to your toes, which may not have received oxygen previously. The higher levels of oxygen promote the growth of new blood cells and vessels which is referred to as ‘angiogenesis’.

2. Reduced inflammation and swelling

While the process of increasing oxygen in the blood in itself can help reduce inflammation, it also inhibits production of pro-inflammatory ‘cytokines’, and studies show it reduces oxidative stress and mucosal inflammation via cell activation. Other studies have shown very beneficial effects of HBOT on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and chronic conditions such as ulcerative colitis.

3. Improved wound and skin healing

Healthy oxygen levels in the blood are essential to produce collagen, which in turn is vital for the healing of any wounds. In addition, oxygen in the blood can help reduce swelling, which allows more nutrients to be delivered to damaged tissue to stimulate wound healing.

4. Enhanced athletic performance

The reason the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and the England Rugby Union teams use hyperbaric oxygen therapy is because higher levels of oxygen in the bloodstream help improve endurance and improve muscle recovery time after intense exercise.

5. Decompression sickness and carbon monoxide poisoning

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the most effective treatment for decompression sickness (DCS), otherwise known as ‘the bends’, which is common among deep sea divers, mountain climbers, astronauts, and miners. It occurs when bubbles of nitrogen and other gasses form in the bloodstream, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy immediately reduces these bubbles, reducing potentially dangerous swelling.

Does hyperbaric oxygen therapy work?

There are lots of clinical studies on the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, from treating regional pain to the healing of wounds, treating COVID, and management of foot ulcers. It’s an emerging area of therapy, so it would be naïve to expect as much clinical evidence as say Vitamin C being essential for our immunity, for example.

I found my six sessions of HBOT enormously relaxing – nobody disturbs you for an hour and 20 minutes – pure bliss! In my case I had a damaged rotator cuff in my shoulder that I was hoping would get better, but it was something else where I noticed the impact first. I play Dad’s 5-a-side football most Monday evenings at my son’s school, and at the age of 51, my body is always stiff and sore the next day, however badly I play. One day I had an HBOT session a few hours before playing Dad's football in the evening, and I was markedly less stiff the next morning. The difference was very noticeable. Did it help my shoulder? Based on all the evidence, it would certainly have helped, and I am back playing tennis again, but it’s very hard to quantify how much it helped.

There are, however, lots of successes with HBOT. At Winchester HybO2, a tree surgeon who’d broken his ankle falling from a tree was back to work three weeks later after HBOT treatment, which accelerated the bone growth and healing. In another example, James Holmes, who used the therapy after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis says “I’ve had no brain fog, my brain is so much clearer, and I feel more vitalised now than I have done in years.” Journalist Alice Smellie saw a major improvement in wrinkles in her skin which had “…gone from the 56th centile… to the 95th centile, so now only five out of 100 have fewer wrinkles. This confirms what I can see in the mirror."

Are there any side effects to hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, administered professionally and under supervision, is safe. However, there can be small side effects simply due to the changes in pressure in the chamber – this would be the same if you went scuba diving for the first time. The side effects can include sinus pressure, short-term pain or discomfort in your ears, and even short-term vision changes, but it’s more likely you won’t experience any side effects. If you do experience side effects, they are likely to be mild and temporary, but if they persist, you should always consult your GP or the providers of the service.

Alternatives to hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is itself a fast-growing alternative to traditional treatments such as medication. In the over-medicalised world that we live in, this is very welcome. However, one alternative to Hyperbaric is ‘Normobaric’ oxygen therapy, which is the same thing except the oxygen is delivered in normal air pressure. Much less is understood or studied about the effectiveness of normobaric oxygen therapy. Other alternatives could be treatments such as stem cell therapy or laser therapy if treating hair loss, or even surgery – it really depends on the condition you’re trying to address.

Winchester HybO2 are running a special offer - get a 60 minute chamber session for just £60. Book yours today at Winchester HybO2.

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