HBOT - CP, Autism, Stroke & other neurological disorders.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and other neurological disorders has been gaining strides in recent years. Although more conclusive research is still under examination, many doctors and patients around the world are growing aware of the extraordinary healing benefits of HBOT.  Chief neurological disorders that HBOT is known to improve include:

Autism:

Autism exact causes are still under investigation but one of the theories attributes development of autistic spectrum disorder to cerebral hypoperfusion, or decreased blood flow to the brain, making it hard for the autistic brain to concentrate or generate speech. Recent medical evidence shows that HBOT helps autistic children by improving oxygenation of the brain tissue, removing toxins from the body and reducing inflammation by returning blood flow to oxygen-deprived areas, allowing for improvement of speech and social skills after as little as 3 months of treatment.

Cerebral Palsy:

Cerebral palsy is another complex condition that in some cases attributed to hypoxia which leads to cognitive and physical impairment. Within four to six months after starting therapy, hyperbaric treatment can enhance nerve cell regeneration and growth, which improves gross- and fine-motor skills, sharpens attention, and accelerates language skills. When combined with occupational therapy, the effects of neurodevelopmental progress are magnified.

Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Concussion Syndrome:

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death and disability. Evidence supports that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can improve the effects of post-concussion syndrome (PCS) even years after the initial incident. Specifically, HBOT can induce neuroplasticity by restoring oxygen levels in the blood and body tissues that supply energy for brain repair.

Multiple Sclerosis:

Likely caused by a breakdown of the blood brain barrier, multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that can lead to disability in many cases. For 30 years, HBOT has been used to improve speech, cognition, gait, and urinary habits in numerous cases. Positive results include reduced over-activity of the immune system, increased myelin repair, and improvements in ataxia, which contributes to a lack of body control.

Stroke:

Stroke, also known as cerebrovascular disease, is a common and serious neurological disease. Hyperbaric medicine has been applied in the treatment of cerebralvascular diseases since the 1960s.

The extra oxygen in the tissues helps the healing process in many ways, including:  Enhancing the white blood cells’ activity at wound sites and ability to fight infection; promoting the development of new blood vessels for increased circulation to hypoxic areas; assisting the body to build new connective tissue in damaged areas; reducing edema by vasoconstriction; and blocking cytotoxic effects of many harmful gases/poisons.

Strokes are the result of an interruption of blood supply to the brain, which damages neurons necessary for healthy brain function. Shown to help stroke victims in both chronic and acute phases, HBOT can deliver outstanding results by delivering 100% pure oxygen to rejuvenate these neurons. Amid a growing number of studies, results include shopping and cooking independently, and regaining lost speaking and reading abilities.

The most important criteria being, for stroke survivors, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy reactivates the idling neurons, stimulates growth of new blood vessels, prevents cell death, and improves neurological function.

Fibromyalgia:

Predominantly affecting women, fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome that can be accompanied by and possibly related to other conditions including fatigue, cognitive impairment, irritable bowel syndrome, and sleep interruption. Symptoms have to do with how pain is interpreted in the brain, and HBOT may alleviate these multiple causes by inducing neuroplasticity, decreasing or even eliminating the need for pain medications.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome:

Chronic and progressive, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is defined by severe burning or shooting electrical pain that begins in one hand or foot, and then spreads throughout the body. With no cure, scientists suspect CRPS is caused by abnormalities in the sympathetic nerve, immune response, and inflammation pathways. HBOT may improve this condition by modulating pain, promoting faster healing and reducing swelling throughout the affected limbs.

Chronic Headaches:

Headaches are one of the most common reasons for hospital visits. Oxygen inhalation was early advocated as a treatment for migraine headache. It has been theorized that the efficacy of raising blood oxygen levels in vascular headache is mediated by vasoconstriction and metabolic effects. Hyperbaric oxygen can provide a much greater level of blood oxygenation than normobaric oxygen, and leads to significant pain reduction in patients suffering from headaches.