Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).

What it is

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) means breathing 100% oxygen inside a chamber pressurized to about 1.5 to 3 times normal air pressure. The pressure lets much more oxygen dissolve into your blood plasma, so it can reach tissues with poor circulation and help the body fight certain infections, grow new blood vessels and repair tissue.

Hard chambers at higher pressure are a medical treatment for problems such as diabetic wounds that won't heal. People also use HBOT for brain injury, stroke recovery, long COVID and sports recovery, where research is still developing.

What happens at a visit

1. A safety screening and a lesson in clearing your ears.
2. Entering a hard acrylic chamber or a soft portable one.
3. Slow pressurization, with ear popping like on a plane.
4. About 60 to 90 minutes at pressure, breathing oxygen.
5. Read, watch something or rest during the session.
6. Slow depressurization at the end.
7. A series of sessions, often 10 to 40 depending on the goal.

Who it is for

• People with wounds or diabetic ulcers that won't heal
• People recovering from brain injury or stroke, alongside rehab
• People with long COVID or post-viral fatigue
• People with Lyme disease or chronic infections, alongside their treatment
• Athletes supporting recovery from injury
• People exploring HBOT as part of healthy aging

Evidence and safety

Hyperbaric chambers are FDA-cleared for a set list of conditions, including hard-to-heal diabetic wounds, decompression sickness and carbon monoxide poisoning. Research for brain injury, stroke, long COVID and other uses is early and mixed, and soft chambers have less evidence. In well-run chambers it is generally safe, and ear or sinus pressure is the most common side effect. It isn't safe with an untreated collapsed lung or certain medicines, so share your full medical history first.

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