Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Sports Injuries

Brutal injuries, suffered by athletes of contact sports and other highly competitive fields, have forced the medical profession to look at alternative healing therapies that also offer quick and effective relief from pain. Today, one of the most successful alternative healing treatments is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). Athletes are being successfully treated with this technique for a wide spectrum of injuries, ranging from ankle sprains to broken bones and muscle damage.

Competitive sports have become increasingly intense over the last decade and the incidence of injured athletes has become more frequent. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a low-risk technique that allows athletes to resume competitive sport quicker than a standard course of rehabilitation.

HBOT is a technique in which 100% pure oxygen is pumped under pressure into an isolation chamber occupied by the injured athlete. It has also been found to effectively treat tendon, ligament and joint injuries. Studies have found HBOT to be free of any adverse side-effects and to be remarkably effective in the treatment of sports injuries which have been categorised into three phases:
• Inflammatory - the permeability of blood vessels is controlled to reduce swelling and pain
• Proliferative – damaged tissue begins to repair as oxygen supply is increased to the injured areas
• Remodelling – increased oxygen promotes the growth of new tissue

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Researchers of sports injuries have found that damaged areas of the body become inflamed, causing oedema which is an accumulation of fluid in the areas of the connective tissue. Blood vessels become constricted, hampering the flow of plasma-rich oxygen and blood cells to the injured site. This results in oxygen starvation of the cells and tissues around the site of the injury, impeding the body’s ability to self-heal. In more severe cases, cells and tissues can die off. Clinical studies of HBOT have found it to be effective in the treatment of sports injuries such as:
• Ankle Sprains
• Damaged muscles
• Fractures
• Tendinitis

Interestingly, today HBOT is also being studied as a treatment remedy of concussion. A concussion, which is a mild form of traumatic injury to the brain, has become commonplace in the competitive sports arena. The brain tissue becomes bruised after a jolt or blow to the head. This causes brain tissue to become swollen. HBOT has been found to treat these symptoms with good results.

Researchers point out that HBOT increases the delivery of oxygen to the brain by two-to-three times. The technique reduces inflammation and pressure on the brain, promoting effective and rapid healing of the head trauma.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is available throughout South Africa but prospective clients are urged to obtain a medical opinion before registering for this type of treatment. While HBOT is widely regarded as a safe technique, there are threats of side effects, particularly in people who suffer from high blood pressure or cardiac disease.

The cost of an HBOT treatment differs from one practitioner to another but a ball-park figure is around R550 for one session dropping down to R400 if the patient undergoes 20 sessions. Sessions take about one hour and can be administered in isolation.

HBOT is constantly under the microscope as researchers investigate its many promising non-intrusive healing attributes. These offer highly competitive athletes a quick, effective and safe alternative to treating their injuries. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a technique which increases the amount of oxygen in the blood. This increased level of oxygen in the bloodstream restores, heals and fights infections of body tissue.

When you go for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, you will breathe in pure oxygen while in a pressurised room.Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has been known to treat specific conditions like decompression sickness in divers.Recently studies have shown that it could also treat cancer patients.Oxygen therapy could prove useful in traditional cancer treatment and help cancer patients after radiation therapy.

Oxygen Therapy can be used positively for many conditions. Lets have a look at how this therapy is used in general healing. Oxygen is easily transported through the body via the bloodstream. Oxygen in the blood stimulates growth factors and stem cells. The body is well know for oxygen in the fight against bacteria and infections. So it is safe to say that more oxygen in the bloodstream encourages faster healing.

So as injuries or infections need more oxygen to heal, oxygen therapy can speed up healing for this type of situation. Lets look at an example of a diabetic who is healing slowly. The wound or infection can benefit from Oxygen Therapy. Then is also safe to say that Oxygen supports the immune system and can hold serious infections at bay. Oxygen therapy has also been known to treat cases of anemia, decompression sickness abscesses, burns, gangrene, vision loss and carbon monoxide poisoning.