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How to Treat Sports Concussion with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

by jakaylamyles
hyperbaric chamber for athletes

Every experienced athlete understands how prevalent are sports injuries, especially a concussion. With this health problem becoming a lingering issue, it is necessary to find a treatment that helps recover from concussion quickly and eliminate severe symptoms that hamper the normal life functioning of the patient.

A hyperbaric chamber for athletes is a non-invasive, low-risk treatment that improves oxygen flow in the blood and accelerates natural healing processes. As a result, reducing the symptoms of a sports concussion.

This article will briefly discuss HBOT and its impact on sports concussions. Read more for details.

Understand Sports Concussion

A sports concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, commonly referred to as TBI, that causes brain damage. Due to any external force, the wound on the surface penetrates our brain and causes close-headed damage or injury. This means you can’t see the wound from the outside.

Ideally, sports concussions happen to various degrees, however, all of these categories are serious to some extent, so immediate medical attention is imperative. Adolescents and professionals in sports are more susceptible to a concussion while playing.

When a concussion happens, the athlete experiences physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms. This may include headaches, poor attention, memory loss, dizziness, confusion, anxiety, and other personality changes.

Sometimes, a concussion heals naturally in months, but at other times, it can take years to minimize symptoms associated with a sports concussion.

What is Hyperbaric Chamber for Athletes?

A hyperbaric chamber for athletes helps treat TBI related to a concussion. The therapy improves oxygen flow in our blood, which promotes the healing of damaged tissues, ensures stem cell regeneration, and allows the growth of blood vessels. These actions treat inflammation, oxidative stress, and other issues in the brain activity of the athlete.

How hyperbaric chamber for athletes function?

While breathing normally, every athlete and person can breathe from 21% oxygen present in the environment. This oxygen is transported to the brain, cells, and every body’s organ through red blood cells.

In a hyperbaric chamber for athletes, the situation alters a bit. We inhale 100% oxygen inside the chamber at increased pressure, up to 1-2ATA. At high pressure, our bodily liquids, such as cerebral spinal fluids and lipids, also carry oxygen. Therefore, the oxygen concentration in our blood improves.

With this process, our body is hyper-oxygenated, and diseases/injured cells and tissues receive appropriate oxygen supply. Therefore, healing accelerates throughout the body.

At the time of a concussion, our brain experiences oxidative stress, inflammation, and injury. No injury in our body can heal without oxygen. Hence, when we use a hyperbaric chamber for athletes, which enhances oxygen concentration, allowing healing processes to take charge.

How Does HBOT Help Treat Sports Concussion?

In a particular case study, eight random cases of patients were evaluated. All of these athletes were experiencing signs of concussion at different stages. Three of these patients were randomly given therapy with the hyperbaric chamber for athletes at 100% oxygen, and three were given medical-grade therapy. The remaining two received O2 normobaric therapy at 100% oxygen.

To assess the degree of difference that HBOT can make in sports concussion, the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) and Postconcussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) were utilized. The PCSS is a checklist that assesses 22 symptoms to know the severity and presence of symptoms of TBI. The SAC, on the other hand, is a highly sensitive assessment that helps find even the mildest signs of concussion in athletes.

These assessments helped measure symptoms at the start and end of the study. After therapy with the hyperbaric chamber for athletes, symptoms of athletes improved drastically. Athletes could return to the normal practice schedule, and their decision ability, cognition, and mental strength improved.

Precautions to Take

Our body can’t heal any injury without a proper oxygen supply. With a hyperbaric chamber for athletes, we can improve oxygen concentration in the bloodstream, which starts healing impaired areas in the brain.

Even with all the benefits of the therapy, there are a few precautions to take when considering HBOT for a sports concussion:

  • Always consult your doctor and understand the issue you are experiencing. Depending on the severity of your TBI and other health issues, the doctor may be able to properly assess your feasibility for HBOT therapy.

  • Ensure that you are receiving HBOT under the supervision of an experienced professional.

  • If you have any other health issues, such as ear problems or injury, evaluate the drawbacks of the therapy carefully.

  • HBOT is not approved by the FDA for traumatic brain injury and concussion. This means that your insurance may not cover the treatment. Understand the requirements before proceeding with the therapy.

Conclusion

In the short term, a concussion only causes headaches, dizziness, and confusion. However, if the impact is severe, the patient may experience an increase in symptoms over time. When these symptoms are not treated, the athlete experiences social issues, learning disabilities, depression, or addiction.

A hyperbaric chamber for athletes helps improve the condition of athletes who have experienced a concussion. Understand your condition, connect with your physician for assistive therapies, and improve your symptoms with time.

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