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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Chamber (HBOT)
Your Questions Answered!
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Cancer
1. How can HBOT help in my fight against cancer?
- Multiple ways! That is why we love it so much. It can be used in nearly every stage of your cancer treatment journey including:
-HBOT in itself helps create an environment in your body that cancer has a more difficult time surviving in. Cancer usually thrives in low oxygen environments, thus when we force oxygen to areas it usually can't get to, cancer has a harder time replicating.
- HBOT has been well studied and demonstrated to improve the efficacy of radiation therapy, ensuring the radiation does a better job at killing cancer cells. This same mechanism of flooding your body with oxygen can allow chemotherapy (an oxidative treatment) to work more effectively as well.
-If you've been left with damaging effects from your cancer treatments such as surgical wounds, neuropathy from chemotherapy, or bowel ulceration and damage, HBOT therapy can accelerate your recovery drastically. Here is a Cochrane Review (the highest level of evidence) on HBOT and healing tissue post cancer treatment: HBOT for tissue
2. I've heard HBOT increases angiogenesis, which we do not want to do in cancer?
-This was a theory for a long time and the reason not everyone is familiar with HBOT in oncology applications. HBOT does increase angiogenesis in normal metabolic recovery such as chronic wounds, but the latest evidence (from 2023) and consensus on the topic amongst oncologists and HBOT experts is that cancer biology is different than normal human biology, and hyperbaric chambers do not increase angiogenesis in tumor cells.
3. Are there some cancer patients who should not do HBOT?
-There are a few chemo protocols that are contraindicated with concurrent treatment because they are themselves causing oxidative damage, and too many oxidative therapies at once could be overwhelming on the body. Mostly there has to be specific timing around when the therapies can be used adjunctively. Dr. Robinson will be sure to recommend a plan that is specifically safe for your conventional protocol.
4. How am I going to feel after my sessions?
-Unlike other oxidative therapies used in cancer, most of our patients leave their hyperbaric sessions feeling rejuvenated. When your body is fully saturated in oxygen, it is not uncommon to feel a new sense of energy and most easily go about their day renewed. Most patients get wonderful increased sleep the nights of their therapy as well.
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Your Questions Answered!
Non-Cancer Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Uses​
1. What other conditions can HBOT be used for?
-The majority of the research in HBOT (outside of treating divers with decompression sickness), is in using the increased oxygenation to accelerate healing in chronic inflammatory wounds such as surgical wounds and diabetic ulcers, as well as chronic neurological conditions such as traumatic brain injuries and depression. See below if you'd like to view research on various conditions and HBOT.
- COVID19 & Viral illnesses - HBOT has been shown to be beneficial in both acute covid and covid long haul syndrome. This study demonstrated the prevention of the need for ventilators.
- Hypothyroidism- HBOT has been shown to be beneficial in increasing both T3 and T4 thyroid hormone and lowering TSH beyond placebo . This study shows the details.
- Autoimmune disease - HBOT has used successfuly in many autoimmune diseases. It's been used in multiple sclerosis since the 80's, and has been studied in other autoimmune conditions showing equal efficacy to pharmaceutical therapy in this study.
- Neurologic injury - In general nerves are hard to heal. That being said, HBOT is well known for its use in TBI's (Traumatic Brain Injuries) as shown here, stroke recovery as shown here, and radiation damage as shown here.
- Diabetes - HBOT is conventionally known for being used to treat diabetic foot ulcers, but it also can help gain glucose regulation and lower blood sugars as shown here.
- Functional psych conditions - While HBOT is great for serious chronic disease, it can also be used acutely in mental conditions such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety, all reviewed in this study. Migraines can also be acutely halted with HBOT as reported here
* There are numerous other conditions that have been studied. The European Consensus Conference on Hyperbaric Medicine has 28 well defined indications approved for its use. If you think hyperbaric may be beneficial, reach out to our team and we can help you decide if this is a therapy for you.
Your Questions Answered!
What to expect in your sessions
1. I'm claustrophobic. Am I going to feel stuck in a tube?
-Firstly we have a vertical hyperbaric chamber, not a horizontal / lying chamber. This means you'll feel more like sitting in a tall tent than being stuck in a tube. Our Chamber is also able to be opened from the inside should you need to get out quickly, It also contains windows so that you'll be able to see outside the entire time, as well as our technician will be able to monitor you. We also have an alarm button you can press if you'd like us to end the session early.
2. I have limited mobility, will I be able to get in and out easily?
-Again with our vertical chamber, it is easy to step in and out of without much bending over. We have a normal height seat in the chamber that you can sit in comfortably once inside.
3. What do I do when inside?
-What ever you would like! We have an ipad if you want to watch Netflix / browse the internet. Some patients bring books to read, listen to music, talk on their cell phones, play videogames, work on their laptop, or meditate.
4. How long are sessions (referred to as a "dive" )?
-Each dive will start and end with about a 10 minute inflate and deflate period. Our providers will then recommend how long they want you to dive / stay under pressure for your exact condition, but 30 minutes at full pressure is an average time.
5. Are there any side effects during the session?
-Mild HBOT therapy is incredibly safe, but some patients experience pressure in their ears similar to flying on an airplane that lasts a few minutes while inflating. This can be mitigated / avoided by yawning or chewing as the pressure changes are occurring.
6. Is there a concern of overoxygenation or oxygen toxicity?
-This is a phenomenon of tingling fingers and toes that happens in divers who spend many hours in very high pressure hyperbaric systems for days at a time. These are not conditions that we re-create in our protocols and thus never occur in our setting.
7. How many sessions will I need and how much does it cost?
-This will vary widely based on your condition and health status. Some patients complete one dive at a time as needed for things like migraines. Some of our cancer patients come twice per week throughout their chemo and radiation sessions. Patients with chronic conditions may come once a week for many months. If it is looking like you would benefit from an extended number of sessions, we do offer packages to make care more obtainable if needed.
~ Single Session: $100
~ 12 Session Pkg: $1,080 (10% off)
~ 24 Session Pkg: $2,040 (15% off)
~ 48 Session Pkg: $3,840 (20% off)
Ready to get started?
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