What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Used to Treat?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an official medically recommended treatment for the following conditions:

  • Disorders caused by gas bubbles in abnormal places: Divers suffering from decompression illness and air embolism.
  • Poisoning: Carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke inhalation, and cyanide poisoning.
    Infections when antibiotics have limited effect: Gas gangrene, Necrotising infections, bone infections, and diabetic foot wounds.
  • Tissue damage: Crush injury, compartment Syndrome, Radiation tissue damage (Osteoradionecrosis), Compromised skin grafts and flaps. Thermal burns.

For any other condition that is not on this list, medical authorities in the UK have decided that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not an effective treatment. Any hyperbaric oxygen therapy unit or Doctor registered in the UK would come under intense scrutiny and possibly face legal proceedings for making claims to treat any other medically diagnosed condition outside of this list.

Without a medical prescription, Insurance companies and the NHS will not fund hyperbaric oxygen therapy. If your condition is not on this list then the official answer is hyperbaric oxygen is not medically indicated, however, many clients recognise hyperbaric oxygen’s potential effectiveness with other issues.

To some this list is considered overly restricted, but medicine is a serious business affecting the lives of everyone and is also of immense economic and social significance. The policies of large organisations have to be accordingly considered.
The Unofficial and Off-Label Uses for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

  • Allergies
  • Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)
  • Arthritis
  • Asthma
  • Autism (ASD)
  • Cancer
  • Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
  • Cerebral Palsy (CP)
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
  • Cirrhosis
  • Depression
  • Fibromyalgia (FM)
  • Heatstroke
  • Hepatitis
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Migraines and Headaches
  • Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
  • Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
  • Paralysis
  • Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
  • Sports Injury
  • Stomach Ulcers
  • Stroke
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

It stands to reason that some people are going to want a cutting-edge approach; to see if something extra helps. It is for this reason that we at the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Centre provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy at a level considered as a complementary treatment to alleviate a range of symptoms and support recovery and wellbeing, but we do not claim a cure or treatment for specific medical conditions.