Hyperbaric chamber stroke treatment

Although perhaps controversial, the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for stroke victims is gaining momentum in the medical treatment arena. To date, over 2500 stroke patients have been treated with hyperbaric oxygen and the evidence for success is accumulating.

There are conditions where the hyperbaric chamber therapy for stroke treatment should be applied (usually within 3 to 6 hours of the stroke) and where a late application and where pressures higher than 1.5 to 2 ATA may even be considered harmful. Evidence shows that benefits can be achieved through a combination of hyperbaric oxygen alongside physical therapy to treat chronic post-stroke patients that are neurologically stable.

The practice of Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and hyperbaric chamber stroke treatment has been deemed to be safe and is continuing to increase in popularity as an effective treatment for patients. However, as of the time of writing this hyperbaric oxygen treatment has not yet been officially approved for stroke treatment.

History of hyperbaric oxygen treatmentHyperbaric chamber therapy has a long history and was used in the treatment of diving and used to treat divers exposed to the "bends" a decompression related illness. Within the last 30 years, hyperbaric has been used in the treatment of acute stroke patients and 2500 studies have been documented in various publications, the majority showing favourable results.

The practice used 100% oxygen which is held under pressure, higher than that found at sea level. A specially conducted chamber is built and the patient enters and remains inside for the duration of the treatment.

The key to this hyperbaric chamber therapy for stroke treatment is in the fact that the patient is placed within the chamber within 3 to 6 hours of the stroke, following the patient reaching a stable state, following the acute stage. It is never easy to fit this into an accurate timescale. For some patients, recovery stops after a few months following the stroke. Patients who do not show improvements after a year can be considered as having a chronic post-stroke condition. Some patients have gone on to show recovery signs up to 2 years following the stroke.

These improvements can include:

• movement recovery? Paralysis recovery? Sensation recovery? Speech and language recovery

Can You Heal Your Brain with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Studies have shown that the brain consumes as much as 20% of the body’s oxygen, but that is only enough to operate a small amount of the brain cells at any given time.

While the brain is rebuilding its connections, it takes up even more oxygen through a process called neuroplasticity. Oxygen therapy provides even more oxygen to the brain which is like a type of food for the brain which speeds up the neuroplasticity process.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can aid recovery by speeding up the recovery of a stroke patient when combined with repetitive practice. The therapy is gaining traction in the USA and around the world. Consult with your doctor if you wish to consider this therapy and he/she can find a Hyperbaric Oxygen chamber near to you.