I’ve become convinced that oxygen is truly the “unsung” fountain of youth.
As you know, oxygen, water and food are the basics of survival. While there are exceptions, the “Rule of 3s” applies. You can last approximately three weeks without food, three days without water, but only about three minutes without oxygen. So is it any surprise that oxygen, being one of life’s most essential ingredients, is vital to the recovery from injuries and diseases?
I was first alerted to the therapeutic value of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) during an interview with my friend and colleague, Dr. Stephen Sinatra, who once told me that if he had a patient that suffered a stroke, the first line of treatment would be HBOT. What I later found out is this incredible treatment has quite a renowned track record.
Pumping Up Your Oxygen Levels with HBOT
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a therapeutic technique designed to increase the body’s oxygen levels and speed up healing at a rapid rate. The U.S. Navy provided the first HBOT in the 1930s for the purpose of combating decompression sickness. And since the 1950s, HBOT treatments have been routinely performed in healthcare centers across the world to treat a variety of stubborn ailments.
The treatment involves breathing 100% pure oxygen while enclosed in a sealed, pressurized chamber. Because the chamber is pressurized at nearly three times greater than normal atmospheric pressure, the body’s blood plasma quickly becomes saturated and is able to speed healing by carrying 15-20 times the normal amount of oxygen to the body’s tissues.
To date, there are over 120 reported conditions for which hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been shown to be beneficial including autism, cerebral palsy, drowning and anoxic brain injury, migraine headache, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, multiple sclerosis, plastic/cosmetic surgery recovery, recovery from surgery, sports injuries and sports performance/recovery, stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and many more.
My friend, Ben Greenfield, put it in perfect perspective, “When it comes to healing injuries (including concussions and wounds) faster, increasing oxygen delivery to damaged tissues, blasting the body with nitric oxide for better blood flow, increasing the production of collagen, and even causing a natural release of your own stem cells, there is nothing as powerful as HBOT. I am blown away by the body of research on this impressive biohack.”
HBOT for Traumatic Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects how the brain functions. These injuries can range in severity and can occur in a number of ways. More commonly known as a concussion, a TBI can be a result of a simple fall, a sports collision, or any type of accident. It results in the brain moving rapidly back and forth in the skull. A serious TBI can cause the brain to bleed. Symptoms can include loss of consciousness, memory loss, headaches, difficulty with balance, concentration, blurred vision, mood changes, sleep disturbances and loss of motor function – all of which can last for days, weeks, or even years.
Many patients who receive HBOT as a TBI treatment can even start to experience improvement after only one session. Patients who have suffered for many years after a TBI have shown significant and permanent improvement with a series of HBOT treatments. The benefits for traumatic brain injuries are almost endless as it improves overall quality of life.
As many of my followers know I’m currently undergoing HBOT for a TBI I sustained nearly 15 years ago. And that’s the beauty of hyperbaric oxygen – it can be used for acute or chronic injuries even if years have passed.
What to Expect in An HBOT Treatment
When I first decided to give HBOT a try, I contacted the most well-respected HBOT expert in the country, Dr. Paul Harch. At his clinic, I underwent a quantitative EEG which Dr. Harch developed to customize the exact pressure and dosage of oxygen to heal my brain. Like diet and exercise, there’s simply not a one-size-fits-all approach to oxygen therapy.
I’m in the process of undergoing 40 treatments (which seems to be the gold standard and sweet spot for most people). Each of my treatments last 45 minutes and the only side effect I have experienced is mild ear popping. At the Harch Clinic I’ve been able to do my treatments in a clear chamber without a mask which has soothed my claustrophobia concerns, and I know many of you can relate. While there I’ve had the opportunity to meet professional football players and autistic children with their devoted parents who are all undergoing treatment.
Hyperbaric Treatment Centers have popped up across the U.S. in recent years as the benefits of this therapy become more widely known. For best results, you want to find someone who is truly qualified with years of experience or who has trained with Dr. Harch directly. You can learn more about Dr. Harch and HBOT on his website here.