Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical therapy that enhances the body’s natural healing process by breathing in 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber. It’s used as a treatment for a wide variety of medical conditions. By providing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber, HBOT delivers 10-15 times more oxygen to tissues within the body. The increase in oxygen supply during a HBOT treatment allows multiple benefits. HBOT has been demonstrated in clinical trials to enhance the body’s ability to increase immune responses while regenerating and repairing tissue and cellular damage. HBOT is an FDA-regulated process and the treatment takes place in a controlled environment to ensure patients are safe as they experience a change in atmospheric pressure and heightened levels of oxygen.
The FDA currently recognizes Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for 14 medical conditions, all of which are generally covered by insurance
- Sudden Hearing Loss
- Radiation Therapy Tissue Damage
- Diabetic Wounds
- Chronic Refractory Osteomyelitis
- Thermal Burns
- Compromised Amputation, Skin Graft, or Flap Site
- Acute Arterial Insufficiency/Central Retinal Occlusion (CRO)
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- Cyanide Poisoning
- Decompression Sickness
- Air or Gas Embolism
- Gas Gangrene
- Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
- Acute Traumatic Injuries / Crush Injuries
- Actinomycosis
- Brain (Intracranial) Abscess
- Severe Anemia
Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
- Anti-aging
- Expedited healing
- Stem cell induction/mobilization to repair damaged tissues
- Increased energy production
- Decreases swelling and inflammation
- Increases the body’s ability to fight infection
- Promotes new blood vessel growth to repair damaged tissue
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy may improve the quality of life of the patient in many areas when standard medicine is not working. Many conditions such as cancer/radiation damage, stroke/brain injury/post concussive syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and chronic fatigue have responded favorably to HBOT. Healing cannot take place without appropriate oxygen levels in the tissue and cells. Many illnesses and injuries fail to heal because of inadequate oxygen levels. Inflammation, swelling, and reduced blood flow contribute to poor healing. This means adequate oxygen is unable to reach the damaged area. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) creates increased oxygen under pressure, which provides this extra oxygen to tissue and cells with minimal side effects. HBOT treats the underlying cause of your condition leading to tissue repair and energy production from the cellular level. If your condition involves injury, decreased energy production, loss of blood supply, or inflammation, HBOT will likely help you. Exciting new research is showing HBOT as a method to slow the aging process, increase the immune system, and fight disease.
HBOT may also benefit many conditions not yet approved by the FDA. The following conditions are being safely treated with HBOT in the U.S., and worldwide, by physicians, using it in an “off label” capacity. The benefits are well-documented and supported by on-going research around the world. Off-label treatments are determined on a case-by-case basis after consulting with your medical provider.
- Cancer
- Brain Injury
- Concussion, TBI and brain injuries
- Lyme Disease
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Stroke
- Dementia
- Depression Related to Brain injury
- Arthritis / Rheumatic diseases
- Autism
- Post-operative healing
- Migraine
- Neuropathy
- Bell’s palsy
- Spinal cord injury
- Peripheral nerve damage
- Bone fractures
- Muscle injury
- Infection
- Multiple Sclerosis
Caren Raisin, RN has been a registered nurse for over 40 years, the bulk of her career was spent researching the effects of diet and lifestyle on heart disease and cancer. She currently works at the Center for Integrative Medicine. Caren is published in the following journals:
• Cancer Nursing Kronenwetter C, Weidner G, Marlin R, et al. A qualitative analysis of interviews of men with early-stage prostate cancer: The Prostate Cancer Lifestyle Trial, Cancer Nursing, 2005; 28(2): 99-107
•Journal of Urology Ornish D, Weidner G, Fair WR, et al. Intensive lifestyle changes may affect the progression of prostate cancer. Journal of Urology. 2005; 174(3):1065-70
• American Journal of Cardiology Sumner MD, Elliott-Eller M, Weidner G, et al. Effects of pomegranate juice consumption on myocardial perfusion in patients with ischemic coronary heart disease: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. American Journal of Cardiology. 2005; 96: 810–814
• Yoga Journal, June 2007, issue 203
This article appears in the Source September 18, 2025.
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