We’re excited to offer Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Paso Robles!
Salus Integrative Medicine is proud to offer hyperbaric oxygen therapy to our patients in Paso Robles, throughout San Luis County, and the surrounding Central Coast community. We are using the latest technology in hyperbaric oxygen therapy designed to improve air flow during treatment and high efficiency inline air filtration to aid in the comfort of your healing. Our hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber is soft-sided with a roomy interior and five viewing windows that let us keep an eye on you while simultaneously helping anyone who might be concerned with claustrophobia during hyperbaric treatments.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy facilitates the healing processes of the body. Damaged tissues (like an infection, Traumatic brain injury, stroke, or after surgery) crave more oxygen to heal. More oxygen in your blood can help damaged tissue restore, renew, and heal. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy studies have shown the lungs are able to supply more oxygen to the blood under pressure than without the pressurized environment (“Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy,” Leach, Rees, & Wilmshurst, 1998). There are some great studies on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and increased brain activity, too, for patients with conditions like Autism, Alzheimer’s disease, and chronic Migraines.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Benefits
There are currently 18 conditions approved by the FDA for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment. All other treatments are considered off-label use and are being studied as future conditions for approval and as benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Here are the 18 approved by the FDA for treatment by hyperbaric oxygen therapy:
| · Acute Mountain Sickness | · Air or Gas Embolism |
| · Arterial Insufficiencies | · Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Inhalation |
| · Carbon Monoxide Poisoning | · Central Retinal Artery Occlusions |
| · Clostridal Myositis and Myonecrosis/Gas Gangrene | · Complications Of Radiation Therapy/Radiation Tissue Damage |
| · Crush Injury | · Decompression Sickness (aka The Bends) |
| · Exceptional Blood Loss/Anemia | · Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss |
| · Intracranial Abscess | · Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections |
| · Non-healing Wounds | · Osteomyelitis |
| · Skin Grafts and Flaps | · Thermal Burns |
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and the Brain
The brain receives many benefits from hyperbaric oxygen therapy and new studies are published often in different areas of study from reducing secondary cell death in TBI cases (“Hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduces neuroinflammation and expression of matrix metalloproteinase‐9 in the rat model of traumatic brain injury,” Vlodavsky, Palzur, Soustiel, 2006) to increased cerebral blood flow and and cerebral metabolism which aids both chronic neurological disorders and chronic brain injuries after hyperbaric oxygen therapy (“Improvement In Cerebral Metabolism In Chronic Brain Injury After Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy,” Golden, Neubauer, Golden, Greene, Marsh & Mleko, 2009). Look below in our FAQ about HBOT to see one specifically about the brain in U.S. Military Veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
Below are two images from a woman with a gunshot wound to her brain where you will see the images before and after her 80 hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments (“Cerebral blood flow changes and cognitive improvement in chronic stable traumatic brain injuries treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy,” Barrett, Masel, Harch, et al., 1998) .
Damage in the brain causes swelling which reduces blood flow to the healthy cells (there may be dead or damaged cells in the brain from an injury). The healthy cells need oxygen to function, which hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has also been shown to protect the blood-brain barrier, promote the development of new blood vessels and nerve tissues, suppress inflammation, and inhibit the death of cells (Medical Gas Research, 2016). Speak with one of the doctors at Salus Integrative medicine if you are ready to rehabilitate an injured brain or explore treatment options for a chronic brain condition with hyperbaric oxygen therapy here in San Luis Obispo County.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Wounds
Patients with diabetes and/or injuries which are slow to heal or have become infected may benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy (“Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Facilitates Healing of Chronic Foot Ulcers in Patients With Diabetes,” Löndahl, Katzman, Nilsson, & Hammarlund, 2010). Patients also use hyperbaric oxygen therapy after surgeries to aid in the healing process (including plastic or cosmetic surgeries). Stubborn wounds and serious wounds, tissues damaged by radiation from cancer treatment, and diabetic wounds with low blood flow are frequently candidates for hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment over major surgery which might result in a dramatic loss of a body part. Studies have found good results in providing better blood to the tissues of wounds with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Our HBOT chamber allows you to breathe the air in through a mask inside of a private, pressurized chamber; nothing is topically applied to the wound.
Here is an example from Airox of a wound throughout a 30-session set of Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy treatments:
Frequently Asked Questions about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
At our office in Paso Robles, our hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions take about one-and-a-half hours. You will be at pressure within the HBOT chamber for one hour during which time your body’s tissues will be receiving up to 15-times more oxygen. During a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment, you will enter into the soft-sided chamber through the double-zipper entry on the side. We will provide you with a mattress, pillow, and blanket for your comfort to relax and enjoy your therapy. We will also provide you with a two-way radio for communication with us in case you need anything while you are in the HBOT chamber.
Q: What should I wear to my HBOT treatment?
A: Many patients choose to take a nap while in the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy chamber, so bring or wear something comfortable. You are welcome to change at our office if you would like. Some patients find it is more difficult to get in and out of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy chamber in restrictive clothing, like jeans.
Q: Is it hot or cold inside the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy chamber?
A: It can be a bit seasonal, but is usually on the colder side once it is operating. We have blankets here for your comfort. In the winter you may want to bring a sweater into the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy chamber, too.
Q: How many treatments will I need?
A: You’ll want to discuss this with your doctor. The number of HBOT treatments you will want will vary based on the condition you’re treating, your health, and many other factors. Below is an MRI scan from a study of U.S. Military Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) before and after 40 Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatments:
Q: What if I’m worried about claustrophobia in the HBOT chamber?
A: We provide everyone with a two-way radio (“walkie-talkie”) and attach the other device to a staff member so that you have immediate assistance at any time. Bring your cell phone in with your and/or a book or distraction puzzle to occupy your mind. The Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy chamber has windows and we can leave the lights on or off at your request. Some people find the therapy makes them sleepy, despite their anxiety and are asleep within a few minutes. It’s worth trying at least once.
Here are a few extra tips from one of our Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy patients:
- Go to the restroom before going into the chamber because the pressure on your body may make you regret not doing so
- Bring gum (they have some if you forget)
- Put on chapstick before you go in as the oxygen mask blowing air can be drying
- When going into the chamber, start with one foot first then your body; it’s much easier than starting with your head
- Lie on your back until you’re pressurized or one ear will pressurize without the other
- If you don’t feel any air, your mask might be too loose on your face, but don’t pull too tight or those band marks will last all day!
- Use a sleep tracker app before, during, and after your treatment period when you’re sleeping at night and you’ll probably notice some differences
- Eat protein before treatments
- Drink lots of water after (not before, see item #1)
