HBOT sessions are often called “dives”. During one of these
sessions, the patient will enter a chamber that is filled with one hundred
percent pure oxygen and pressurized above the normal atmospheric pressure. A
session will usually run between fifty and ninety minutes, though the patient
will sometimes have “air breaks” to breathe normal air. This decreases the risk
that the patient will develop oxygen toxicity. There are different types of
chambers used for HBOT. Some chambers are designed for only one patient, while
others are designed for several patients.
HBOT works as a treatment for CRPS/RSD by saturating all body
and brain tissues in oxygen. This first relieves any oxygen deprivation that
has come from the swelling or tissue damage. After a while in the HBOT chamber,
with the effected limb or area receiving oxygen in proper quantity, the
circulation may improve and the swelling could begin to decrease.
Like any other form of treatment for CRPS, HBOT results may vary
from patient to patient. Some cases show immediate improvement of condition and
continued improvement with subsequent treatments. Other cases may not show
improvement from HBOT, or may take a few sessions before results begin to show.
HBOT for CRPS Neurological Symptoms:
In cases where physical symptoms of CRPS begin to subside as a
result of HBOT, continued sessions will begin to work on the core of the
disease, which is the central nervous system. While suffering from CRPS, pain
is being detected and translated by the sympathetic nervous system, which is a
different part of the brain than what commonly responds to pain. This improper
response is in part what causes the perception of pain that is out of
proportion to the visible symptoms, as well as causing the patient to feel pain
in places where there is no obvious cause. The atmospheric pressure that is
being administered while the patient is in the HBOT chamber is a large part of
what helps to alleviate symptoms and improve the condition of the patient with
CRPS. The atmospheric pressure being administered is measured by the
depth below sea level that would provide that amount of pressure. Mild
hyperbaric pressure, the equivalent of being eighteen to twenty-four
feet below sea level, works primarily on the brain and central nervous
system. Pressure that is equivalent to deeper depths works on tissue and
bone.
The administration of this mild hyperbaric pressure can help the
brain to begin the proper translation of pain by the central nervous system
instead of the sympathetic nervous system. This can in turn eliminate the
false sensations of pain in body areas or limbs that have not have physical
cause for pain. It can also further assist in reducing the sensitivity in the
effected limb or area.
Sources:
“Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.” American Cancer Society. American
Cancer Society, 14 Apr 2011. Web. 21
Aug 2013.
“Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for
Medical Education and Research, 27
“Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.” Medline Plus. American
Accreditation Healthcare Commission, 22 Mar
McAdams, Patricia. “Hyperbaric Oxygenation Therapy: Can it
Relieve Your Pain?.” Reflex Sympathetic
Dystrophy Syndrome Association. RSDSA, n.d. Web. 21 Aug 2013.
Saulsberry, Arthur. “Diseases and Conditions: Complex Regional
Pain Syndrome.” Hyperbaric Link
Thriving Under Pressure. Hyperbaric Link, L.L.C., 08 Nov 2010.
Web. 21 Aug 2013.
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