HBOT Information Sheet

What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)? 

• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a method of delivering oxygen deeper into the body. It is done by breathing oxygen while inside a pressurized-air chamber.  

• The pressure in the chamber causes the oxygen you breathe to be dissolved into your blood plasma, in addition to what the red blood cells can carry. 

What is the purpose of the treatments?

• The extra oxygen is delivered to the cellular organelles, such as mitochondria, which generate energy for the cells. When the mitochondria make more energy, then the cells can do whatever they are supposed to do, such as help heal wounds, help the body fight infections, and help injured cells become fully functioning again.

• HBOT is “adjunctive therapy”, so it is used along with other forms of treatment. HBOT is not a “cure all”, but a part of your total medical care.

How often are treatments given?

• Patients are generally treated once or twice a day, at one hour per treatment, for 20-80 treatments, then often on a maintenance schedule.What conditions can benefit from HBOT treatment?