11 Ways to Benefit from the Healing Power of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Are you struggling with the effects of a head injury, mental health conditions, cognitive issues, memory problems, or symptoms of long-haul COVID? There’s a natural brain rescue solution that may help—hyperbaric oxygen therapy. A 2021 review in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease analyzed results from 391 research studies on HBOT for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The authors concluded that “based on the outcomes of clinical and experimental studies, this review advocates the use of HBOT for the treatment of AD.” Clinical trials are underway to assess the effectiveness of HBOT for the treatment of long-haul COVID. The healing power of HBOT can be effective in a variety of other ways too.

Are you struggling with the effects of a head injury, mental health conditions, cognitive issues, memory problems, or symptoms of long-haul COVID? There’s a natural brain rescue solution that may help—hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Share on X

WHAT IS HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a non-invasive therapy in which you breathe 100% pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. With HBOT, your lungs can take in up to 3 times more oxygen than they do when breathing at normal air pressure. This is beneficial for the treatment of injuries because your brain and body need higher amounts of oxygen to heal damaged tissue. The increased oxygen from HBOT is transported to the brain and body via the bloodstream to accelerate the healing process.

HBOT FOR BRAIN RESCUE

Brain rescue in the time of COVID is based on one simple idea. If you want to keep your brain healthy or rescue it if it’s headed to a dark place, you need to prevent or treat the 11 major risk factors that steal your mind. What’s exciting is that HBOT has shown benefits for all of these risk factors, which are easy to remember with the mnemonic BRIGHT MINDS.

B is for blood flow.

Low blood flow is the #1 brain imaging predictor of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s also associated with depression, ADD/ADHD, schizophrenia, and alcohol abuse. Anything that negatively impacts blood flow is bad for the brain. For example, if you have hypertension, as blood pressure goes up, blood flow to the brain goes down. A study in the Journal of Neurotrauma on 16 military personnel showed that blood flow increased after one single hyperbaric session, and it went up significantly after 40 sessions.

R is for retirement and aging.

Think about how your face ages—a few wrinkles when you’re 55 and a whole bunch more by the time you’re 85. That same process is happening in your brain, but it doesn’t have to. HBOT has been shown to reverse aging in a 2020 study from Israel in the journal Aging.

I is for inflammation.

When you have chronic inflammation in your body, it’s like you have a low-level fire destroying your organs. Inflammation is associated with depression, Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and more. A number of studies point to the anti-inflammatory properties of HBOT.

G is for genetics.

Genes are not a death sentence, they are a wake-up call. If you have one or more family members with Alzheimer’s or dementia, you’re at a higher risk of losing your mind. Look at Chalene Johnson, who has a family history of Alzheimer’s disease. When she had her brain scanned at Amen Clinics, her SPECT scan showed decreased activity in multiple areas, including the parietal lobe, meaning her brain was already headed to early Alzheimer’s disease. By doing HBOT, her brain improved as seen on a follow-up brain scan 2 years later.

H is for head trauma.

Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of psychiatric problems, but few people know it. The good news is that you can reverse the damage. If you put the brain in a healing environment, it can get better. That was the conclusion of a 2013 brain SPECT imaging study in Plos One on HBOT as a treatment for TBI. In this randomized prospective trial, 56 patients who were 1-5 years post-concussion did 40 sessions of HBOT. The results revealed improved cognitive function, attention, memory processing speed, and executive function, as well as enhanced quality of life, and better blood flow.

T is for toxins.

Most people know alcohol is not a health food. Many people don’t know marijuana is not innocuous. In an Amen Clinics brain imaging study on nearly 1,000 marijuana users, every area of the brain was lower compared to a healthy group. Other toxins that are harmful to brain health include smoking, mold exposure, carbon monoxide, cancer chemotherapy, radiation, and heavy metal exposure (mercury, lead, and aluminum). To decrease toxic load, limit your exposure to toxins and support the 4 organs of detoxification—kidneys, digestive system, skin, and liver. HBOT can help detoxify you as well.

M is for mental health.

Mental health issues, chronic stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), grief, depression, bipolar disorder, and ADD/ADHD skyrocketed during the pandemic. Meet Doug, who struggled with anxiety, depression, and brain fog. His brain scan at Amen Clinics didn’t look healthy. On a treatment program including supplements and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, his brain scan looked much better 3 months later. In the 2013 brain SPECT imaging study in Plos One mentioned earlier, HBOT helped with mood and trauma.

I is for immunity and infections.

Some scary news has been emerging about the potential long-term impacts of COVID-19 on brain health. For example, a recent brain imaging study from a team of researchers in the United Kingdom found that the coronavirus may cause lasting loss of brain tissue. The researchers compared pre- and post-COVID brain scans in 394 people and detected a significant loss of gray matter in regions of the brain associated with smell and taste. Your best defense against COVID-19 is your immune system, and hyperbaric oxygen has been found to boost immunity.

N is for neurohormone deficiencies.

One of the things many people don’t realize is if you’ve had a traumatic brain injury, it often hurts the pituitary gland, which is involved in hormone production. It can actually turn off or turn down production. In a 2020 documentary called Quiet Explosions, HBOT and hormonal therapy are discussed as therapies for healing the brain.

D is for diabesity.

Having diabetes and obesity can be detrimental to brain health and puts you at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, depression, and other conditions. How can HBOT help? A 2015 study shows that hyperbaric oxygen can improve glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes.

S is for Sleep.

Did you know that 60 million Americans have sleep-related issues, such as chronic insomnia and sleep apnea? Sleep apnea makes your brain look like you have early Alzheimer’s disease. A growing body of research shows that HBOT improves oxygen saturation in sleep apnea as well as quality of sleep.

If you’re recovering from a concussion, struggling with memory problems or cognitive dysfunction, or dealing with mental health issues, don’t wait. Seeking a treatment plan that includes non-invasive, non-medication options such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be beneficial in the healing process.

At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer HBOT, in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.

43 Comments »

  1. Do you have clinics in Calgary Alberta Canada?

    Comment by Janet Giblin — July 28, 2021 @ 4:46 AM

  2. I am interested in getting more information on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

    Comment by Tisha Baker — July 28, 2021 @ 5:29 AM

  3. Thank you for sharing. My father went through this treatment and it helped him tremendously.

    Comment by Timothy Lee — July 28, 2021 @ 5:38 AM

  4. Where can I find out where to go to .

    Comment by Beverly Smith — July 28, 2021 @ 5:48 AM

  5. Interested in this therapy

    Comment by Claudia — July 28, 2021 @ 6:21 AM

  6. Do the soft-sided (for home use) HBO units have the same efficacy as the hard-sided as pictured above?

    Comment by Janet DaPrato — July 28, 2021 @ 6:50 AM

  7. I am interested in learning more about your SPECT as well as HBOT.

    Comment by Gloria ONeal — July 28, 2021 @ 6:51 AM

  8. How do you feel about CBD oil is it healthy?

    Comment by Bradley — July 28, 2021 @ 7:48 AM

  9. I need the benefit of Hypo as perscribed by your medical team. But there is not one in my region that would be available to me. When I was at your Walnut Creek office it was not available at that time. Yes I fit the profile, but can’t get the help. Could your team / staff be more helpful in providing options and the Rx that would allow systems that have a chamber to be able to include your patients. Thanks, John Oakes

    Comment by John Oakes — July 28, 2021 @ 8:14 AM

  10. My husband Steven has a lot of those symptoms

    Comment by Steven Orth — July 28, 2021 @ 8:24 AM

  11. Is it covered by Medicare and Medicaid?

    Comment by TC Paul — July 28, 2021 @ 8:29 AM

  12. Can HBOT help ALS patients?

    Comment by Deborah Mahon — July 28, 2021 @ 8:42 AM

  13. Please DO let me know when insurance covers this procedure. I definitely can’t afford 40 sessions of HBOT but am a great candidate with history of TBI and possibly genetic AD. Thanks:)

    Comment by Joan Utley — July 28, 2021 @ 9:34 AM

  14. I live in Jacksonville, Fl. What is the closet Clinic to me and how much does the Treatment cost.

    Comment by Lynn Knox — July 28, 2021 @ 9:49 AM

  15. 1) What is the recommended pressure to use in the HBOT? Does the pressure recommendation change depending on the patient’s condition(s)?
    2) Are there benefits for patients with Lyme disease?

    Comment by Brian — July 28, 2021 @ 11:42 AM

  16. Great. But treatments uncovered by insurance are inaccessible to most people. Especially your target audience, the chronically ill. Is there a way to get Hyperbaric approved by Medicare?

    Comment by Megan — July 28, 2021 @ 11:54 AM

  17. Do you accept medical ins or IEHP? My husband is in need of mental help.

    Comment by Olga — July 28, 2021 @ 12:25 PM

  18. How much $$$ & for how long?

    Comment by Dorizella — July 28, 2021 @ 1:04 PM

  19. At what pressure, and for how long, do the hyperbaric treatments need to be to prove helpful? Such treatments are EXPENSIVE in a chamber. However, if one could do a (shallow) dive in a swimming pool the procedure would be pretty cheap.

    To get one (extra) atmosphere of depth one would need a 33′ deep pool. These just aren’t readily available. However, 12′ deep pools are available. So, by diving (using SCUBA equipment) in a 12′ pool one could get 1/3 (extra) atmosphere.

    It’s perfectly safe to dive to 1/3, even 1/2 or even up to 1 (extra) atmosphere of depth on 100% O2. Need to watch time for each dive, but that’s not difficult. Need an O2-clean SCUBA regulator and an adaptor for an O2 tank to a SCUBA regulator; or, get a SCUBA tank filled with O2. These things are all very do-able. But, we would need to know that breathing 1/3 (extra) atmosphere of O2 would be helpful.

    Comment by Mark Bruscke — July 28, 2021 @ 1:15 PM

  20. I would love to know if there is a brand of HBOT for home use that you recommend? We live in a r4ural area and the closest clinic with HBOT is 4 hours away.
    My brother that has the PTSD and a TBI from his years spent in the military was given a series of treatments (over the course of a month) of HBOT and the differences in his brain scans were incredible.

    Comment by Abby Wahl — July 28, 2021 @ 2:40 PM

  21. I was in a multi-trauma auto accident and my head kept hitting the passenger window and then through it and through it. I have a crack in my skull and many headaches. Also, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, etc.

    Comment by K. Caruso — July 28, 2021 @ 2:41 PM

  22. Hello Janet, thank you fore reaching out. Amen Clinics currently has 9 locations (all in the US): https://amenclinics.com/locations/. For more information about scheduling, please contact our Care Coordinators: https://amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.

    Comment by Amen Clinics — July 28, 2021 @ 3:11 PM

  23. Hello Tisha. You can find more information on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy here: https://amenclinics.com/services/hyperbaric-oxygen/
    If you’re unable to travel to one of our locations, our Care Coordinators may be able to assist you with resources or referrals closer to you. For more information, please contact our Care Coordinators: https://amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.

    Comment by Amen Clinics — July 28, 2021 @ 3:23 PM

  24. Hello Claudia, thank you reaching out. Amen Clinics currently has 9 locations: https://amenclinics.com/locations/. For more information about scheduling, please contact our Care Coordinators: https://amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.

    Comment by Amen Clinics — July 28, 2021 @ 3:28 PM

  25. Hello Gloria, thank you for reaching out. You can find more information on SPECT, HBOT, and the other treatment services that we offer on our website: https://amenclinics.com/services/

    Comment by Amen Clinics — July 28, 2021 @ 3:34 PM

  26. Hello Bradley, thank you for reaching out. We have several blogs that discuss CBD that you might find insightful. You can find them here: https://amenclinics.com/?s=cbd

    Comment by Amen Clinics — July 28, 2021 @ 3:36 PM

  27. Hello John. Our Care Coordinators may be able to assist you with resources or referrals closer to you. For more information, please contact our Care Coordinators: https://amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.

    Comment by Amen Clinics — July 28, 2021 @ 3:39 PM

  28. Hello TC. Amen Clinics is an out-of-network provider and we do not bill insurance. We do provide a superbill containing applicable diagnosis and billing codes, which can be submitted to insurance companies for possible reimbursement. Our doctors and therapists are not affiliated with any insurance plans or networks. Please check with your insurance provider for any mental health benefits. For additional information regarding your pricing, insurance, and financing options, please contact our Care Coordinators: https://amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/

    Comment by Amen Clinics — July 28, 2021 @ 3:40 PM

  29. Hello Lynn. We would be happy to reach out to you directly with more information about scheduling you an appointment at one of our 9 clinics as well as answering any questions you have concerning cost, insurance, financing options. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

    Comment by Amen Clinics — July 28, 2021 @ 3:46 PM

  30. I have almost everything mentioned. Do you have any places out in Calif. Orange. Anaheim. area buy Disneyland ?

    Comment by TERRY GIDEON — July 28, 2021 @ 6:36 PM

  31. Please contact me as to your closest location.

    Comment by Judy — July 28, 2021 @ 9:21 PM

  32. Hello Terry, thank you for reaching out. Amen Clinics currently has 9 locations (one being in Costa Mesa, CA): https://amenclinics.com/locations/. For more information about scheduling, please contact our Care Coordinators: https://amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.

    Comment by Amen Clinics — July 29, 2021 @ 1:09 PM

  33. Hello Judy. Amen Clinics currently has 9 locations: https://amenclinics.com/locations/. For more information about scheduling, please contact our Care Coordinators: https://amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.

    Comment by Amen Clinics — July 29, 2021 @ 1:09 PM

  34. Hello Dorizella. For information regarding pricing, insurance, and financing options, please contact our Care Coordinators: https://amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.

    Comment by Amen Clinics — July 30, 2021 @ 10:40 AM

  35. Hello Abby, thank you for reaching out. Our Care Coordinators can direct you with more information on the HBOT chambers that are for sale/rent that you can use at home. Please contact us here: https://amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.

    Comment by Amen Clinics — August 3, 2021 @ 9:20 AM

  36. Hello Deborah, thank you for reaching out. For more information about HBOT treatment, please contact our Care Coordinators at https://amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.

    Comment by Amen Clinics — August 3, 2021 @ 9:21 AM

  37. Hello Brian, thank you for reaching out. You can find more information about HBOT on our website here, with studies hyperlinked to support the information: https://amenclinics.com/services/hyperbaric-oxygen/. For more information about treatment at our clinics, please contact our Care Coordinators: https://amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.

    Comment by Amen Clinics — August 3, 2021 @ 9:23 AM

  38. Hello Beverly, at this time we have 9 locations nationwide: https://amenclinics.com/locations/. For more information about our clinics and services, please contact our Care Coordinators here: https://amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.

    Comment by Amen Clinics — August 3, 2021 @ 9:26 AM

  39. Thanks for sharing very helpful information. Keep it up.

    Comment by Dorado Wellness — March 24, 2022 @ 4:19 AM

  40. It’s fascinating that you point out that using a hyperbaric chamber can help improve the health of your brain if you struggle with mental health issues. I’ve been feeling quite depressed this year, so I’m considering renting a hyperbaric chamber next week. I’m going to search for a reputable business in my area that offers hyperbaric chamber rentals.

    Comment by Thomson Smith — May 25, 2022 @ 4:28 PM

  41. How much does Hbot capsule verses treatment cost?

    Comment by Sandra Baldonado — June 9, 2023 @ 10:22 PM

  42. I wrote you several years ago. My Husband had a brain tumor in 2019. It was a pituitary tumor but located on his brain stem. He had a 15 hour surgery and at the end he had a bilateral stroke in his Basel ganglia. I was told he would be in a vegetative state the rest of his life. On day 7 I was told it was time to remove him from life support because he wasn't responding to any stimulation and he was defiantly in a vegetative state. I had already decided to give him ten days as recommended by several of my doctor friends . On the eve of day 9 he moved his thumb on command, 3 different times! It was nowhere close to an instantaneous wake up but over months he "woke up" and started moving his left side. With mirror therapy at home and physical therapy in facilities, Scott walked to our son in July with his therapy team and he continues to improve. I listened to your podcast starting in April 2019 recommended by a friend and I know you changed the whole direction of his life. I took away all sugars, gave Omegas, added exercise. At the time he was on a feeding tube I used bone broth and flax oil and used them for his feedings. Within a few days he had color in his skin! He continued to improve. A while later, You had mentioned ballroom dancing for TBI's but he was still on a walker so I got him in the pool doing out Aqua circuit class and in just one class huge difference. It was truly a light switch! He continues to improve. When he woke up he had a 5 second shortterm memory but through bike therapy from Charles Wray (Reach out to this man) my husband's memory has improved through his exercises! We started HBOT treatment 3 months ago and I can now have a conversation with my husband! His memory continues to improve! The first day of his first treatment we didn't notice anything and what I read we won't for about a month but the next day we noticed. I arrived home from work and asked him about his day and normally I would get, "I'm so tired, I don't know, I'm going to bed." (I work 12 hours shifts so it's late when I arrive home because I put in about 13 to14 hours) He told me about his day!!! Later, I was in the kitchen prepping for the next day and he gave me a hug. That was the first time in 4 years he initiated a hug!! We have good and bad days. He's not cured but I see huge changes!! I remember hear about the HBOT here in our small town and I remember Tanya Mentioning it in your podcast. Thank you for planting that seed! It's helped and I bought one a little over 2 months ago and he uses it daily because of a study I found. Thank you for giving me a road map back to my husband.

    Comment by Marie Johnson — June 11, 2023 @ 9:44 AM

  43. Hello Sandra, thank you for reaching out. Amen Clinics has 11 locations across the U.S.: https://www.amenclinics.com/locations/. For more information about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, and other services, please contact our Care Coordinators: https://www.amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.

    Comment by Amen Clinics — June 12, 2023 @ 2:12 PM

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Leave a comment

Contact Us

Our podcast is back! Keep your brain healthy by listening to Change Your Brain Every Day, hosted by Daniel Amen, MD & Tana Amen!  Tune In

X