Hyperbaric Chamber Treatment (HBOT)

During hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), a patient is placed in a pressurized chamber and breathes in pure oxygen, which increases the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream. This increase in oxygen levels can have several beneficial effects on the brain:

  1. Promotes angiogenesis: HBOT promotes the growth of new blood vessels, which can improve blood flow and supply of oxygen to damaged areas of the brain.

  2. Reduces inflammation: HBOT has been shown to reduce inflammation in the brain, which can help prevent further damage and support healing.

  3. Increases stem cell production: HBOT increases the production of stem cells, which can differentiate into different types of cells in the body and contribute to tissue repair.

  4. Stimulates neuroplasticity: HBOT can stimulate neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to reorganize and form new neural connections. This can help compensate for damage to specific areas of the brain and improve overall brain function.

These effects of HBOT have been observed in studies on various brain injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In addition, HBOT has also been found to be beneficial for other conditions, such as stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.

The Specialists explain

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a specialized oxygen treatment that enhances the body’s natural healing processesby inhalation of 100% oxygen in a total body chamber, where atmospheric pressure is increased and controlled. HBOT is the only therapy that directly treats the underlying disease processes of TBI (decreased oxygen, decreased blood flow, swelling of the brain, constriction of blood vessels, acidosis, anaerobic metabolism). HBOT has been shown in multiple studies to have the greatest reduction in mortality of any therapy. One to three sessions of HBOT in the acute period can decrease the mortality by 50-60% (see Rockswold review below). There is very little published experience of HBOT in mild TBI, but in Dr. Harch’s career he has treated many patients within the first week after concussion/mild TBI. With just a few treatments at our clinic, most patients experience near complete or complete relief of symptoms. For patients with the persistent post-concussion syndrome, HBOT is the most effective therapy known. Dr. Harch has shown that HBOT is effective in relieving symptoms in both civilian and military blast-injured patients, and that HBOT causes a reduction in suicidal ideation in veterans.

Dr. Harch's first case and likely the first ever acute concussion case treated with HBOT was ex-NFL and All Pro linebacker Bill Romanowski of the Denver Broncos. The story of the salvage of Bill's 2001 and 2002 seasons with Dr. Harch's directed HBOT is told in the Oxygen Revolution, copyright 2007. Since that time Dr. Harch has treated numerous family members, relatives, athletes, and other patients with acute concussion. If acute concussion can be treated within the first few days to week after injury Dr. Harch has found that with proper HBOT dosing as little as 1-2 HBOTs can resolve the concussion and patent's symptoms, preventing the post-concussion syndrome. With greater and greater delays more treatment is required. By the time six months has elapsed patients usually require the minimum 40 treatment protocol of HBOT that Dr. Harch, Van Meter, and Gottlieb developed in the Perfusion Metabolism Encephalopathy study that followed the boxer's study in 1994. That protocol formed the basis for the protocol that has been used worldwide in multiple HBOT studies, including all of the DoD Veteran studies and the studies in Israel.

Paul G. Harch M.D. - New Orleans

resources to understand HBOT


Podcast:

  1. "The Miracle of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy" by Bulletproof Radio: Host Dave Asprey interviews Dr. Paul Harch about the benefits of HBOT for brain injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion. They discuss how HBOT works and the science behind it.

  2. "The Brain Possible" by Dr. Stephanie Daniel: In this episode, Dr. Daniel talks with Dr. Paul Harch about HBOT and how it can help with a variety of brain injuries and conditions, including stroke, cerebral palsy, and autism.

  3. "The Dr. Hedberg Show" by Dr. Nikolas Hedberg: Dr. Hedberg interviews Dr. Paul Harch about HBOT and its potential benefits for brain injuries and neurological conditions. They also discuss the controversy surrounding the use of HBOT in mainstream medicine.

  4. "The Regenerative Health Podcast" by Dr. Chad Edwards: In this episode, Dr. Edwards talks with Dr. Scott Sherr about the use of HBOT for brain injuries and other conditions. They discuss how HBOT works, its potential benefits, and the latest research on the topic.

  5. "The Joe Rogan Experience" by Joe Rogan: Joe Rogan talks with Dr. Mark Gordon about brain injuries, including CTE, and the potential benefits of HBOT. They discuss the science behind HBOT and how it can help with brain healing.


Studies:

  1. "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis" (2019) - This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of HBOT on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and found that HBOT significantly improved cognitive function, decreased mortality rates, and improved overall outcomes.

  2. "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for traumatic brain injury: a randomized controlled trial" (2012) - This randomized controlled trial examined the effects of HBOT on patients with moderate to severe TBI and found that HBOT improved cognitive function, increased cerebral blood flow, and reduced inflammation.

  3. "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for post-concussion syndrome: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial" (2018) - This study protocol outlines a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of HBOT on patients with post-concussion syndrome.

  4. "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for traumatic brain injury: a meta-analysis" (2017) - This meta-analysis evaluated the effects of HBOT on patients with TBI and found that HBOT significantly improved cognitive function, reduced mortality rates, and improved overall outcomes.

  5. Rockswold SB, Rockswold GL, Zaun DA, et al. A prospective, randomized Phase II clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the management of traumatic brain injury. J Neurosurg. 2016;125(4):872-883. doi:10.3171/2015.11.JNS151659. PMID: 29132229.

  6. Harch PG, Andrews SR, Fogarty EF, et al. A phase I study of low-pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy for blast-induced post-concussion syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder. J Neurotrauma. 2018;35(23):2636-2645. doi:10.1089/neu.2018.5755. PMID: 29152209.

  7. The study published in the Journal of Neurotrauma in 2018 evaluated the use of HBOT as a preventive therapy for military service members who were at high risk for TBI. The study enrolled 46 participants who received 40 sessions of HBOT over the course of one year. The study found that HBOT appeared to be safe and may have potential as a preventive therapy, but more research is needed to determine its efficacy.

  8. The study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery in 2015 investigated the use of HBOT as a prophylactic treatment for athletes in contact sports who were at risk for repetitive concussions. The study enrolled 16 high school football players who received 40 sessions of HBOT over the course of one season. The study found that HBOT did not prevent the occurrence of concussions in the athletes, but it did improve cognitive function in those who had sustained concussions.

Patient Reviews

 Essentially Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is delivered by you entering a tube structure, like deep sea divers might decompress in. You enter, and stay inside for a doctor-prescribed time period. The pressure inside can be adjusted and changed. The point is to push more oxygen into your brain for healing. It’s the same kind of tube that a deep sea diver would use if they had the bends.    When you are in the tube you are breathing pure oxygen and dropped down to a pressure that would mimic being in 10-12 feet of water. The oxygen you are breathing oxygenates your blood and is easily able to push through the blood brain barrier and start to bring fresh oxygenated blood to the brain. It also helps to drain the toxic fluids in the injured brain and brings down the inflammation. With HBOT your cells start to regenerate much more quickly, due to the high oxygenation, and you also start to create Stem Cells at a higher rate. These processes start healing your body very quickly. Being in ‘the tube’ is relaxing and you can watch movies to pass the time. The lack of blood flow to the brain is the main reason concussions take so long to recover and are so challenging. Not enough blood is getting to the brain normally to heal the damaged area. The first time I did HBOT I felt a huge improvement. I could think more clearly, I was faster mentally and just felt better overall. I could literally feel my brain working better and the relief that this brought was profound. I can’t stress enough how much HBOT can quickly and safely heal a concussion or TBI. If you can get in there very quickly after your accident you can actually reverse the damage in a few treatments (in some cases), and be back to normal. I was on the extreme side due to years of surfing and very heavy wipeouts, and I needed 80+ treatments. This was due to all the many years of damage that had accumulated from supposedly ‘minor’ concussions. HBOT took my brain to a 50% recovery.

Shawn Dollar /Scott Sherr - New York and the Bay Area in California

 

I did HBOT through a government study in New Orleans. Dr. Harch does lots of studies so look into it for some free treatments. I got 40 free. HBOT significantly changed my recovery. This treatment was the first time I had received anytime of relief. The sooner you get in a tub the better the results will be. However, you have to be extremely careful. Patients can "overdose" on this treatment. Proper dosing is our specialty, this is where Dr. Harch excels. I suggest reading Dr. Harch's book The Oxygen Revolution. 

Audrey Lambidakis /Paul G. Harch M.D. - New Orleans

I used HBOT for 3 weeks in San Jose to treat my concussion sustained in Portugal and noticed gradual improvements in my overall well being.

Nic Lamb/Scott Sherr - New York and the Bay Area in California

This was a huge help for me! Did 40 sessions to start with. Felt amazing after and the positive affects kept growing after I was finished. In the process of doing 20 more to top it off. I couldn’t recommend HBOT enough.

Thomas Lundgard /Harriet Segelcke (Chiroprator) - Half Moon Bay, CA

This was one of the first treatments I did. Unfortunately I passed out after my first treatment so they wouldn’t let me come back due to liability reasons. I never tried it again so I can’t say it helped me because I never continued treatment. I do know others who have seen improvement and say that it has helped them a lot.

Harley Rose Taich


The treatment that helped me the most was Hyperbarich Oxygen Therapy. My doctor at Amen clinic was Dr. Lawrence Tucker. He has his own practice now. But when he was at Amen Clinics he was great. He knew exactly what to do. Sent me to get HBOT after I had the SPECT Scan and it worked. It got rid of the pain in my head.

Bjorn Hazelquist/Ame Clinic, Dr. Lawrence Tucker