BRAIN INJURIES, DISEASES, AND DISORDERS

Hyperbaric Oxygen is an effective tool the recovering brain needs to heal itself. Long-term substance abuse and prolonged prescription medication use can damage cells in the brain, especially in the frontal lobe where strategic thinking and decision making takes place. Clinicians have reported that HBOT shows promising results in helping patients with traumatic brain injuries, since it is a therapy that can deliver oxygen to the brain in places not reachable when breathing at sea level. A simple brain-imaging scan can show the areas of the brain that have been damaged from addiction. Those are the areas that haven’t been getting enough blood flow, thus not enough oxygen. The damaged cells are also unable to detoxify properly, which slows down the brain’s healing process.However, this can be changed after 20-40 oxygen therapy treatments, when the blood flow in the patient’s brain increases. The improved blood flow in this areas supplies the cells with the needed nutrients they need to heal themselves. After only 10 treatments many patients report better memory, higher energy levels and an overall sense of well-being.

Most illnesses and injuries caused by addiction occur and last at cellular or tissue level. So, the healing process of the body cannot take place without appropriate oxygen levels in tissues. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy provides that extra oxygen naturally and with minimal side effects. It improves the quality of life of people in recovery in many ways in which standard medicine is not working.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy helps to:

• decrease swellings and inflammation
• help damaged liver, pancreas and brain heal
• help the detoxification process in body cells
• help the detoxification process in brain cells
• improve circulation in damaged tissues
  improve sleep patterns

• normalize enzyme systems in the organism
• reduce cravings
• regenerate tissues
• stimulate the appetite

Moreover, if used in conjunction with cognitive and behavioral therapies, HBOT has shown remarkable benefits in treating the brain and body damages from years of substance abuse.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and the Treatment of Addiction
Addiction and physical dependence lead to withdrawal symptoms when you quit taking your substance of choice.

The most frequently experienced addiction withdrawal symptoms include:

• anxiety
• body aches and pains
• changes in heart rate
• constipation
• craving
• difficulty concentrating
• irritability
• restlessness
• vomiting
• weight gain or weight loss

When detox begins, the discomfort, severity and duration of withdrawal symptoms can quickly lead to relapse. However, when the course of withdrawal is altered, as with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, it is possible to improve chances of success and reduce of the risk of relapse.
HBOT helps with the detoxification processes in body by opening up the circulation into damaged tissues and normalizing various enzyme systems. Then, a healed and metabolically healthy cell will be able to participate in the required chemical steps to detox the brain and help reduce cravings.

HBOT significantly increases oxygen in brain tissue so:
cells absorb needed oxygen, inflammation is reduced and poorly functioning brain cells function better.
HBOT improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to all tissues of the body promoting new tissue growth and more normal cell metabolism. This may be particularly helpful in promoting brain development and improving immune response in the child with ASD. A controlled study using HBOT in children 2-7 years of age diagnosed with ASD demonstrated significant improvements in:

• Overall functioning
• Receptive language
• Social interaction
• Eye contact
• Sensory/cognitive awareness

There is evidence that demonstrates HBOT can reduce pressure in the brain linked to swelling, which can aid in the reparation of the blood brain barrier and cell membrane. It is thought that HBOT can actually give the brain a jump-start in supplying the situation to increase new brain tissue. This process can also act as a sort of cleaner. It searches for free radicals to clean out of the blood. In addition to all the many positive affects HBOT can have on the body it also makes oxygen available for metabolic use without consuming energy because the body is not working to absorb the oxygen on its own.

A medical study published in the Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Volume 11, Issue 3, 2003) showed that “certainly, the immediate effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is to relieve the cellular hypoxia that is a feature of chronic fatigue syndrome.” A different 2013 study (see link below) determined that hyperbaric oxygen therapy “decreases the severity of symptoms and increases the life quality of CFS patients.

The precise causes and mechanisms of migraine are unknown. Attacks originate with chemical changes in the brain and nervous system and progress into painful restrictions in blood flow. Certain tastes, odors, lights, noises, and physical or emotional stress may trigger migraine.
Persons who may benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) are those whose migraines have more of a vascular origin (induced either by imbalance of chemicals or abnormal blood flow to a particular brain area) or those who have side effects or contraindications to standard drug therapy.

HBOT has been shown to change the amount of blood flow in the brain during migraine episodes. Additionally, HBOT can favorably alter some of the chemical levels that induce migraines (serotonin and substance P). Both published and unpublished studies show that HBOT is effective in aborting a migraine headache in 80% of patients within 40 minutes of treatment. Effedal et al 2004 found that prophylactic use of HBOT to prevent headaches can reduce the number of headaches.

Migraine is a common neurologic syndrome characterized by severe headache, nausea, vomiting, and hypersensitivity to lights and sounds. Other common symptoms include chills, sweating, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, numbness or tingling, and difficulty speaking or concentrating. Some patients experience warning signs, such as visual disturbances or aura, a few minutes or a whole day before an attack, which may last 4 to 72 hours.
The National Headache Foundation estimates that 28 million Americans suffer from migraines. Women are affected more than men, and people of all ages can fall victim to chronic headaches. Many people experience their first migraine during adolescence or young adulthood.
The precise causes and mechanisms of migraine are unknown. Attacks originate with chemical changes in the brain and nervous system and progress into painful restrictions in blood flow. Certain tastes, odors, lights, noises, and physical or emotional stress may trigger migraine.
Persons who may benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) are those whose migraines have more of a vascular origin (induced either by imbalance of chemicals or abnormal blood flow to a particular brain area) or those who have side effects or contraindications to standard drug therapy.
HBOT has been shown to change the amount of blood flow in the brain during migraine episodes. Additionally, HBOT can favorably alter some of the chemical levels that induce migraines (serotonin and substance P). Both published and unpublished studies show that HBOT is effective in aborting a migraine headache in 80% of patients within 40 minutes of treatment. Effedal et al 2004 found that prophylactic use of HBOT to prevent headaches can reduce the number of headaches.

​Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma (often athletes), including symptomatic concussions as well as asymptomatic subconcussive hits to the head that do not cause symptoms. CTE has been known to affect boxers since the 1920’s (when it was initially termed punch drunk syndrome or dementia pugilistica).
In recent years, reports have been published of neuropathologically confirmed CTE found in other athletes, including football and hockey players (playing and retired), as well as in military veterans who have a history of repetitive brain trauma. CTE is not limited to current professional athletes; it has also been found in athletes who did not play sports after high school or college.
The repeated brain trauma triggers progressive degeneration of the brain tissue, including the build-up of an abnormal protein called tau. These changes in the brain can begin months, years, or even decades after the last brain trauma or end of active athletic involvement. The brain degeneration is associated with common symptoms of CTE including memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, suicidality, parkinsonism, and eventually progressive dementia.
In both sets of photographs below, the brain tissue has been immunostained for tau protein, which appears as a dark brown color. Tau immunostained sections of medial temporal lobe from 3 individuals: Content provided by the Research CTE Center at Boston University.

The rationale for the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is based on its ability to dramatically increase, by 2-3 times, the delivery of oxygen to injured brain tissues to promote healing, and reduce swelling, inflammation and increased pressure in the brain.
First CTE diagnosis on living NFL player confirmed by autopsy, report showsDoctors were successfully able to diagnose a living person with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a first for the field of medical research, according to a recently published article.
The findings, released in the medical journal Neurosurgery on Nov. 10, said an autopsy on the brain of a retired NFL player confirmed the results of scans taken more than four years before the subject died. CTE is “a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma,” according to the Research CTE Center at Boston University.
It’s been found to especially affect athletes and members of the military.
The family of former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Fred McNeill confirmed to the Chicago Tribune that McNeill was the subject of the study. McNeill was 63 years old when he died in 2015 and had experienced significant loss of motor skills and changes to his personality since his retirement from the NFL, the research paper said. The scans showed the existence of tau, a protein which builds off damaged brain cells and is present in CTE, the Chicago Tribune reported.
“Mood, behaviors, motor, and cognitive changes were consistent with chronic traumatic myeloencephalopathy with a 22-yr lifetime risk exposure to American football,” the report said.

A stroke is a serious condition caused by a clot or hemorrhage of a blood vessel in the brain, causing inadequate blood flow and oxygenation to the tissues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), strokes affect about 795,000 people in the United States each year.
Effects of strokeStrokes can cause significant impairment in language, cognition, and motor skills and effects can last for years. Depending on the extent and location of the stroke; symptoms of weakness, paralysis, visual disturbances, speech difficulties, and sometimes loss of consciousness or death can occur.
How can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) assist in stroke rehabilitation?Traditional stroke rehabilitation options include physical, occupational and speech therapy; but studies have shown that adding HBOT can dramatically improve results even years after the stroke occurred.
The brain consumes 20 percent of the body’s oxygen, but that is only enough oxygen to operate 5 to 10 percent of neurons at any one time. The regeneration process requires much more energy. The tenfold increase in oxygen levels during HBOT treatment supplies the necessary energy for rebuilding neuronal connections and stimulating inactive neurons to facilitate the healing process.
A recent study conducted in Tel Aviv showed significantly increased neuronal activity in post-stroke patients after a two-month period of HBOT treatment compared to control periods of non-treatment. The results indicate that HBOT treatment can lead to significant improvement in brain function in post-stroke patients even at chronically late stages, helping neurons strengthen and build new connections in damaged regions. Patients experienced improvements such as a reversal of paralysis, increased sensation, and renewed use of language.
Although Medicare does not cover HBOT for stroke at this time, more studies are underway to prove the cost effectiveness and incredible benefits of HBOT for stroke.

More than 1.7 million people sustain traumatic brain injuries every year. They happen on our roadways, on the battle field, on the playground and on the football field. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a disruption of normal brain function caused by a bump, blow, jolt or penetrating wound to the head caused by an external force.
TBI causes primary injury to brain tissue which may cause damage to the axons or “wires” that connect brain structures as well as bleeding or bruising of brain tissue. This leads to an inflammatory response, as the brain responds to injury, producing swelling and increased pressure within the brain. This increased pressure can impede blood flow and cause varying levels of oxygen deprivation in brain tissue, a potential cause of brain dysfunction or cell death.
Most TBIs that occur are mild and are called “concussions”. A concussion may or may not render the victim unconscious.
In a 2013 Report to Congress on Traumatic Brain Injury specifically focused on the public health impact of returning military, it was found that from 2000 -2011, over 235,000 service members or 4.2% of the total of 5.6MM who served in all branches of the military, were diagnosed with a TBI. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of those were diagnosed with mild TBI.
The report estimated that 33% of those with mild TBI may develop “post-concussion syndrome”, a syndrome characterized by headaches, depression, irritability, sleep disorders, poor concentration and fatigue.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is being studied in the treatment of mild TBI, Post-Concussion Syndrome and PTSD. The rationale for the use HBOT is based on its ability to dramatically increase, by 2-3 times, the delivery of oxygen to brain tissues to help them function more optimally, and to reduce inflammation in the brain.