Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the medical use of oxygen at a level higher than atmospheric pressure. Any condition associated with hypoxia (lack of oxygen on the cellular level) will respond to HBOT. There have been reports that the therapy may help people diagnosed with autism and post-traumatic stress disorder. It's not clear whether it can help fight depression.
Hyperbaric Therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was originally used to help deep-sea divers recover from "the bends." Today hyperbaric chambers have been approved to treat a variety of conditions including carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, anemia and thermal burns. The healing therapy can mend wounds and help save the limbs of people with diabetes.
Treatment for Autism
HBOT may help improve autism. The results of a small trial show that hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves language ability, social interaction and other functions in autistic kids. The trial, conducted by Dr. Daniel Rossignol and colleagues, involved 62 children, ranging in age from 2 to 7 who had been diagnosed with autistic disorder.
The trial, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled study, found that children who derived the most benefits for the treatment were at least 5 years old and were among the least severely autistic.
The results of the study were published in "BMC Pediatrics." It is entitled "Hyperbaric treatment for children with autism."
Treatment for PTSD
The American Association for Health Freedom has petitioned Congress to offer hyperbaric therapy to war veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. An e-newsletter published by the AAHE quoted Dr. Ted Fogarty, chair of radiology at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine, as saying, "Functional neuroimaging indicates HBOT revitalizes brain tissues and restores normal brain metabolism in vastly different areas of the brain in ways that other existing treatments cannot."
Usage Claims
The manufacturers of some hyperbaric chambers, portable and otherwise, may make claims that the therapy can slow the aging process, help athletes achieve peak performance and improve symptoms of depression and anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
No Credible Evidence
There is currrently no official medical documentation to support the assertions that hyperbaric therapy can successfully treat depressive illness.
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