Every year, more and more people who care about their own health and appearance are discovering the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. It is most often mentioned as one of the most effective ways for athletes to stay in shape. It also allows injuries to be dealt with more quickly – all in line with sporting ethics.
Still, many people who could benefit from hyperbaric chamber treatments dismiss this option. Why?
There are some myths around hyperbaric oxygen therapy, also often referred to as HbOT (short for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy). And some are born right in front of our eyes.
That is why we have decided to answer all the doubts in the following text. This article will be constantly updated to provide answers to current issues regarding oxygen therapy each time.
Alright, so it’s time to deal with the first myth….
Myth 1: “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an extremely expensive procedure”.
Prices obviously vary depending on the specific centre where you intend to receive HbOT. Nevertheless, the price rate for a single session is around PLN 150-200.
A lot or a little? This already depends on the individual valuation. Keep in mind, however, that we are talking about a treatment which, in the long term, can drastically improve individual aspects regarding preventive health care, preserving beauty and youthful appearance or improving physical fitness.
Reducing recovery time, avoiding complications for certain diseases or reducing the long-term use of expensive medication – these factors can make us look at the cost of hyperbaric chamber treatment a little differently.
When assessing the cost of HbOT, it is worth considering all the potential long-term health benefits of improving quality of life and reducing potential future healthcare expenses.
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Myth 2: “The treatment in the chamber can only be carried out by a medical professional”.
Hyperbaric chambers can be found in fitness clubs or beauty salons – so they do not necessarily need to be operated by medical staff.
However, it is not so simple to operate that the treatment can be carried out by the first person “from the street”. The key is to ensure safe conditions and adequate monitoring at all times when carrying it out.
Trained personnel are essential in this case, but this does not mean that the chamber can only be operated by people with medical training. On the contrary, only detailed training is required, covering topics such as how to prepare for the procedure or how to respond in the event of any unforeseen events.
We provide such training to all the people to whom we sell our chambers, making sure that they put safety first.
Myth 3: “You need a referral from your doctor to undergo a chamber procedure”.
Your doctor may refer you for an HbOT treatment, but that doesn’t mean you need a referral in every case, when it is purely preventative, for example. You can pop into a beauty salon at any time and have the treatment of oxygen delivered under increased pressure to enjoy a youthful complexion in the long term.
Of course, it is always advisable to have a medical consultation before undergoing the procedure. Your doctor may, for example, examine you, analyse the medication you are taking and conclude that there are no contraindications to entering the chamber. And if he or she comes to the conclusion that, because of certain conditions or medication you are taking, it is a bad idea: then it is definitely better to listen.
And as for the referral: it can be issued by practically any doctor, including an internist.
Myth 4: “Oxygen therapy is a procedure involving risks”.
The treatment itself does not present any health risks. However, there are some exceptions, for example if you are taking medication after which it must be abandoned. We are talking about bleomycin, cis-platin and adriamycin.
There is also a (fortunately short) list of conditions that constitute contraindications, including epilepsy, pulmonary arterial hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, claustrophobia, craniocerebral trauma, respiratory infections, severe heart disease, fever, psychotic conditions or acute ear disorders.
Pregnant women and anyone who has had a surgical procedure within the last 14 days should also avoid HbOT.
To be 100% sure, consult your doctor before starting oxygen therapy.
Find out more about the contraindications to receiving hyperbaric therapy.
Myth 5: “Oxygen therapy is an alternative treatment method without much value”.
Medical professionals around the world, both theoreticians and practitioners, speak out about the tangible benefits of HbOT.
Oxygen therapy helps with conditions such as frostbite, burns, ulcers, osteoarthritis, chad poisoning, decompression sickness, cerebral oedema, encephalitis, hearing damage, infections and many, many more. It is a remedy in the treatment of autistic people or those with Down’s syndrome.
Hyperbaric chamber treatment has also come to the attention of neurologists in particular:
As a neurologist, I didn’t believe it worked until I saw for myself, said Dr Allan Spiegel from Palm Harbor, Florida. He added: ‘After using HbOT, I found long-term improvement in my patients, a reduction in pain, better sleep and a reduction in depressive symptoms, as pain is often at the root of these symptoms.
HbOT also serves to support people who have had to undergo plastic surgery (or have undergone it of their own will). According to Dr Babak Azizzadeh of the Center of Advanced Facial Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills: In our experience, patients who opt for oxygen therapy after plastic surgery recover much faster.
I am convinced that if we started to talk more about the effectiveness of hyperbaric therapy in the treatment of the diabetic foot, we would be doing our patients a huge favour – this, in turn, is the opinion of Dr Jeffrey Niezgoda, director of the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine.
We have selected these few opinions, but there are many more enthusiastic quotes from medical experts about HbOT. It gives you an idea of how the medical world takes oxygen therapy extremely seriously. More specifically: as a potential method to promote recovery or preventive health in patients suffering from a variety of diseases.
Myth 6: “Oxygen therapy is only for athletes”.
Yes, it helps athletes to recover from injury and improve performance, which in turn leads to better results. Relax, it is not a form of doping (oh, another myth), as the opinions of all sports organisations confirm. HbOT is used by sporting greats such as David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Novak Djokovic and Robert Lewandowski – to name but a few.
However, this does not mean that the treatment is reserved only for professional or amateur sports people. Oxygen therapy improves beauty and overall health and is available to everyone. Also for people who prefer to simply stretch on the sofa instead of stretching before a workout.
Myth 7: “Oxygen therapy is a treatment exclusively for those dealing with respiratory diseases”.
Not true, although of course it also helps with numerous respiratory conditions.
Myth 8: “Oxygen therapy replaces other types of treatment entirely”.
Absolutely not. In most cases, we should consider oxygen therapy as a treatment that is indeed extremely helpful, but nevertheless complementary.
In each individual case, consult your doctor first. It is up to him to decide how HbOT can interact with other forms of therapy.
Myth 9: “The treatment is uncomfortable”.
It takes place in a chamber, so one of the contraindications is claustrophobia. People suffering from this condition can indeed feel uncomfortable.
Modern chambers are now designed to make those undergoing the treatment as comfortable and secure as possible. In some of them, you can even sit comfortably.
As for the amount of space: most of the models we provide can easily accommodate two people, for example a mother and child.
The feeling of comfort is closely linked to the feeling of safety, and we therefore attach great importance to it. We always place particular emphasis on this aspect in our training courses.
Myth 10: “Children cannot undergo HbOT treatments”.
Not true, as can be seen from the fact stated in a previous paragraph when we mentioned chambers accommodating a caretaker with a child.
If your child does not have any contraindications (we strongly recommend a prior medical consultation), he or she can enter the chamber and undergo the treatment without any problems.
Myth 11: “There is boredom during the treatment, you cannot take anything into the chamber with you”.
Electronic equipment must be left outside, this is a fact. For many teenagers, this can indeed be a tragedy, although we won’t go so far as to consider smartphone addiction as a contraindication.
And quite seriously: you can take a book or a magazine inside, for example.
Myth 12: “It is not possible to contact the staff during the treatment”.
Not true. The chamber has a window through which you can always let the staff know with gestures if you are OK or if you just need to leave.
What’s more, we offer accessories for a more advanced form of communication, such as a walkie-talkie set.
Do you have a question that we have not answered in this article?
We would be happy to answer it if you send it to our email address using the contact form.
We hope the above summary has helped you to make a decision! HbOT is a key step for many people to improve their health, their body’s performance… And some simply appreciate the fact that they can stay looking younger for longer thanks to treatments in a hyperbaric chamber.
Whatever is the motivation in your case – don’t let the myths circulating discourage you from oxygen therapy!
