HYPERBARIC OXYGEN AND INJURY
Hyperbaric Oxygen involves exposing the body to 100% oxygen at a pressure greater than normal. As wounds and injuries require oxygen to heal properly, Hyperbaric Oxygen provides the perfect environment for speedy healing.
In the Last Decade
Competitive sports have taken on a whole new meaning, where intensity has increased together with the incidence of injuries to the athletes. Therefore, there is a strong need to develop better and faster treatments that allow the injured athlete to return to competition faster than with the normal course of rehabilitation. Hyperbaric oxygen is approved by The World Anti-Doping Agency to enhance performance and accelerate rehabilitation.
How you will benefit from HBO
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Reduce inflammation and pain
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Optimise cellular function
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Accelerate recovery from on-field injury
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Stimulation of new blood vessel growth in injured tissue
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Mobilisation of stem cells to area of injury
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Amplified performance and recovery from training
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Decrease scarring
The Healing Of A Sports Injury Has Its Natural Recoveryand Follows A Fairly Constant Pattern Irrespective Of The Underlying Cause.
Three phases have been identified in this process: the inflammatory phase, the proliferative phase and the remodelling phase. Oxygen has an important role in each of these phases.
In the inflammatory phase, hyperbaric oxygen promotes angiogenesis and vascularisation which is important for the transportation of molecules to repair the injury.
In the proliferative phase, for example in musculoskeletal tissues, hyperbaric oxygen supplies a greater amount of oxygen to the injured area which is essential for the synthesis of extracellular matrix components such as fibronectin and proteoglycan.
Remodelling
In the remodelling phase, the oxygen supplied is used to replace tissue over many hours. Hyperbaric oxygen supports the blood vessels already built into the organisation of the musculoskeletal system.
Case Study
In a study conducted by Chen et al. the early recovery of exercise-related muscular injury by hyperbaric oxygen was assessed. Forty-one athletes with exercise-related muscular injuries were recruited and randomised into a hyperbaric oxygen group and control group. All patients received intense hyperbaric oxygen sessions or placebo treatment. The group concluded that hyperbaric oxygen was found to reduce pain interference, which improved the patients’ general activity, mood, walking ability, sleep, normal work and enjoyment of life. It also reduced the serum levels of creatine phosphokinase, glutamic oxaloacetate and myoglobin, which could be an indication of recovery of muscular injury. The group deemed that hyperbaric oxygen could be a safe and effective modality that facilities early recovery of exercise-related muscular injury in elite athletes.
Hyperbaric oxygen has been scientifically proven as a beneficial adjunctive to treat sports injuries, from the acute traumatic injury to muscle contusions and ankle sprains. Hyperbaric oxygen helps with the reduction of swelling and facilitates soft tissue healing. We are proud to assist a number of top level athletes at our chambers, helping them to get back to peak physical fitness following injuries and strains.
View the Studies
Hyperbaric Oxygen Effects on Sports Injuries
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3382683/
Early Recovery of Exercise-Related Muscular Injury by HBOT
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2019/6289380/