The current military engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq have resulted in an unprecedented number of military members returning home with
traumatic brain injuries.
In spite of having better protective gear than during past military engagements, soldiers are encountering new tactics, such as IEDs, that are resulting in head injuries that are both visible and not visible to the naked eye.
When there are external injuries, it is much easier for medics and physicians to know to test for neurological damage. When there are only internal injuries, damage may not be immediately recognizable and may, in fact, go untested and untreated for years.
The military and medical communities are learning to better recognize, test for and treat brain injuries in military personnel returning from deployments.
And hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is one of those treatments showing promising results easing the effects of those injuries.
Living with Traumatic Brain InjuriesWounded soldiers with traumatic brain injuries have to learn to live with symptoms such as headaches, sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, difficulty with balance, ringing in the ears, seizures, sensitivity to light and cognitive issues that impact thinking and decision-making. Those suffering are often given prescription pain killers and sleeping aids to help ease the symptoms. HBOT has eased the symptoms for many soldiers with traumatic brain injuries, so they rely less on those drugs.
The Promise of HBOT as a Treatment for Soldiers with TBIsThe military medical community concluded that enough
positive evidence exists in both military and non-military case studies to more closely examine HBOT as a standard treatment for soldiers suffering from traumatic brain injuries. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Price heads up a study at Fort Carson in Colorado. He has been an advocate for HBOT after seeing how oxygen treatments helped military divers with dive injuries. In a September 2011 interview with the Colorado Springs Independent, Price remarked on the promise of HBOT:
“I've had lots of e-mails and inquiries. Soldiers, their families, physicians, politicians, high-ranking officers. We're all looking for hope, and this modality of treatment suggests that there might be some hope." And other physicians across the country are conducting their own studies. The Hyperbaric Medical Association’s Dr. Paul Harch testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee in July 2010 regarding the positive outcomes from HBOT administered to wounded soldiers at more than 24 sites across the country.
HBOT is not a silver bullet that will reverse all effects of traumatic brain injuries. But it is an effective and low-risk treatment that helps ease some of the symptoms of those injuries, allowing those wounded warriors a better quality of life and opportunity for recovery.
To learn more about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy or what it can do for you, please contact us for a
hyperbaric oxygen therapy consultation. In addition to serving as a resource for all your questions about HBOT, we will provide a free assessment to help you determine if you would benefit from this treatment. Schedule your appointment today
online or by calling 727-487-1052.
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), is a chronic pain disorder that currently has no cure. In addition to severe pain, those with the neurological disorder can experience abnormal sweating, swelling in tissues, discoloration of skin, muscle atrophy and sensitivity to light and touch. The most common method for helping RSD patients manage the pain is through medication. The cycle of pain management offers some sufferers relief, while others struggle to find a way to cope with the daily effects of living with pain. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has offered many RSD sufferers an alternative or supplement to their current medicated pain management regiments. I have been a practicing neurologist for over 20 years and discovered HBOT when I was researching therapies to help a family member who had suffered a stroke. I saw the benefits HBOT can provide firsthand and am passionate about the healing potential of this type of therapy. We have been providing HBOT to RSD patients in our Palm Harbor, FL clinic for the past 8 years. Some patients notice an easing of symptoms within just a few sessions of HBOT. What Does HBOT Offer the RSD Patient?It can offer a pain reduction cycle that does not require narcotics or needles. It is safe, cost-effective and painless. During HBOT sessions, patients breathe 100% oxygen at a higher than normal air pressure. This increased level of oxygen circulates through the bloodstream and helps decrease swelling and encourages healing. Patients experience an increase in muscle tone and notice that they are able to sleep more restfully, feel less depressed, think more clearly and are able to establish more regular routines in their daily lives. How Do You Know If HBOT is Right for You? I encourage you to read more about the positive results HBOT has offered many RSD patients. Take a look at the case studies, medical research information and articles about HBOT for RSD we have provided on our site. If you suffer from RSD or CRPS and want to learn more about how HBOT may help ease your symptoms, please contact us. We will provide a free assessment to determine if you would benefit from this treatment. Schedule your appointment today online or by calling 727-487-1052.
Follow us on FaceBook!
Get our latest Tweets!
Visit us at Linkedin!