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Natural Relief For Radiation Necrosis Pain With Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

Natural Relief For Radiation Necrosis Pain With Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

· Pain, Radiation · Comments Off on Natural Relief For Radiation Necrosis Pain With Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
HBOT Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment chamber

When Cancer Radiation Treatments Damage Cells, Can Natural HBOT Repair Them?

Lots of people have radiation therapy to treat cancer, and the truth is radiation kills cancer cells very effectively. Unfortunately, radiation can equally easily kill the cells that surround a tumor. And that damage often doesn’t present symptoms until long after the cancer has been eradicated, sometimes a decade or more later. Doctors always let patients know the risks of radiation therapy. Sadly, however, around five percent of those who have the treatment will end up with radiation necrosis, a condition where the soft tissue cells surrounding the original tumor begin to die.

Radiation necrosis symptoms can be disabling. They include pain, headaches, seizures, cognitive problems, and, very occasionally, even death. Unfortunately, most medical treatments for these delayed radiation injuries don’t work effectively at all. But many radiation necrosis sufferers find their symptoms improve significantly with natural Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)…

Wondering if HBOT can bring you relief from Radiation Necrosis symptoms? To schedule a clinical assessment at our Palm Harbor, Florida, Center, click here now or call (727) 787-7077.

The way hyperbaric oxygen therapy works is by bathing the body with pure oxygen under various carefully controlled sea-level pressures. The healing happens in a state-of-the-art sealed, clear chamber where supersaturated O2 levels permit blood to transport vital nutrients to damaged cells. Patients can even listen to music or watch TV to help the time pass! As they lie comfortably in the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, the patient’s inflammation and swelling goes down. The natural therapy reduces scar tissue formation, and then healthy new blood capillaries begin to form. HBOT treatments literally reverse damage to blood vessels and tissues that the radiation treatments caused!

Can HBOT Help All Patients with Delayed Radiation Disease?

Depending on the type of cancer radiation treatment you had, your results with FDA-approved HBOT may vary. For example, 50-60% of those who had Prostate and Colorectal Cancer Radiation found their symptoms improved, sometimes completely. Hyperbaric treatment for Cervical and Bladder Cancer Radiation resolves symptoms in around 75% of cases. HBOT effectively reverses symptoms in 83% of patients who have Head, Neck and Mouth Radiation. The success rate of HBOT to halt the progress of – or even reverse – brain damage in those who have Brain Tumor Radiation is as high as 90%. We see very encouraging results with our radiation necrosis patients, and we believe the treatment merits your serious consideration.

Does Insurance Pay for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Radiation Necrosis is one of the 14 conditions that the FDA has officially approved for HBOT treatments. That means that Medicare and other insurers frequently cover the cost. We can let you know with more certainty if we are able to evaluate your health condition in person.

If radiation damage has caused you to suffer from delayed pain and discomfort, we can help. To learn more about AMA and FDA-approved Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, call (727) 787-7077 to schedule a personalized consultation with neurologist, Dr. Spiegel, MD. A member of our office staff will confirm your appointment soon.

Delayed Radiation Injuries And HBOT Treatments

· HBOT, Radiation · Comments Off on Delayed Radiation Injuries And HBOT Treatments
HBOT Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment chamber

Heal Delayed Radiation Injuries with HBOT, an AMA and FDA-Approved Radiation Necrosis Treatment:

It’s hard enough to get through cancer radiation treatment without worrying about its difficult long term side effects. Radiation effectively eradicates breast, head, neck, prostate, rectal, cervical and bladder tumors. But in spite of doctors’ best efforts, radiation can impact a tumors’ surrounding tissues by causing focal lesions. These tissue injuries create painful and difficult symptoms that can appear anywhere from six months to decades after the original radiation treatment. We refer to the cell injuries and death as Radiation Necrosis. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a safe and non-invasive way to heal (or even prevent) this devastating radiation side effect.

HBOT has been used in the U.S., Europe and around the world for decades to successfully treat radiation necrosis. In fact, the disease is one of 14 conditions that the FDA officially approves for healing with hyperbaric oxygen. During HBOT, a patient lies comfortably in a hard-shell, sealed clear chamber while breathing in pure oxygen under a variety of sea level pressures. This high 02 density provides nutrients to oxygen starved areas of the body so that swelling goes down and tissues can heal effectively. When patients begin having HBOT immediately after completing radiation treatments, they can often avoid necrosis (tissue death) altogether. But why tempt fate? If patients wait to see whether they’ll get radiation necrosis, they can end up with symptoms that are truly devastating…

The earliest indication of radiation necrosis could be a simple, low grade fever. If you have recently had radiation treatments, you should routinely monitor your vitals, such as temperature, heart and respiration rates and take care not to over-exert yourself while exercising. In fact, do not exercise within two hours of radiation treatments at all, because exercise boosts blood circulation and that could increase radiation’s effects. While exercising, always be on the lookout for signs of excessive sweating, pale skin color, labored breathing, or fatigue. These could signal early stage necrosis symptoms.

Later stage symptoms of delayed radiation injury can be devastating. Side effects include fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, seizures, pain, headaches, problems thinking and planning, memory loss, infertility and, sometimes, even death. Those who have radiation necrosis can rarely keep working or live a normal life. That’s why we advocate starting hyperbaric treatments as soon as radiation therapy is finished.

Does Insurance Cover HBOT Therapy for Delayed Radiation Injury?

Radiation Necrosis is one of 14 conditions that the FDA officially approves for healing with HBOT. Medicare and other insurers will frequently cover the cost, but your carrier makes the ultimate decision as to whether they will pay for your treatment. We can let you know with more certainty if we are able to evaluate your health condition in person. In cases where HBOT Therapy is not covered by insurance, we will go over several options with you that can help to keep treatments more affordable.

If radiation damage has caused you to suffer from delayed pain and discomfort or if you would like to lessen your risk of getting radiation necrosis, we can help. To learn more about AMA and FDA-approved Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, call (727) 787-7077 today, or click here to schedule a personalized consultation with neurologist, Dr. Spiegel, MD. A member of our office staff will confirm your appointment soon.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Enables RSD Sufferer to Live Pain Free…

· HBOT, Pain, Radiation · Comments Off on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Enables RSD Sufferer to Live Pain Free…
pain relief

See How HBOT Helps Our Patient, Jennifer Live Pain Free After Years of Suffering

In the video above, you’ll hear from Jennifer, a patient at our center whose frightening symptoms of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) began after she had a routine vaccine in 2009. Within two days of the injection, she felt severe pain in her right ear. Vertigo spells caused her to lose her balance and fall down, and her head felt like it was crushed in a vice. And as if these symptoms weren’t bad enough, Jennifer felt electrical shocks all over her body. Soon, she began having trouble swallowing, and she couldn’t even nurse her newborn or hug her other young children, as the pain of touching them felt too excruciating.

Jennifer’s symptoms went on for months – intermittently, but with terrible flare-ups. She was plagued with cold sensitivity and began having visual and auditory hallucinations. She could no longer drive or perform everyday tasks. Jennifer and her family consulted 12 doctors, from infectious disease specialists to neurologists and chiropractors. But none of them could determine the cause of her symptoms, and when she insisted these began with the vaccine, the doctors pooh-poohed her. Finally, a family physician referred Jennifer to a Drexel University specialist…

I’d like to say that was the end of Jennifer’s health problems. In fact, they were only beginning. Although the Drexel specialist had a six month waiting list, Jennifer was able to see him much sooner when one of his patients cancelled. It only took the doctor a few minutes to diagnose the young woman with systemic RSD resulting from the vaccine. He prescribed an expensive medicine that Jennifer’s insurance would not cover. A spinal tap test that the doctor ordered caused Jennifer even further injury. She began vomiting, felt terrible pain, and was not able to use her left side without dragging her legs when she tried to walk. After being hospitalized for 11 days, Jennifer began the drug treatments.

Months went by, and Jennifer’s symptoms did not improve. Thirteen months on the medication and $13,000 later, she became progressively more ill. Her legs became swollen and discolored, and she could sleep no more than two hours each day – even when taking strong pain medications. she became bed and wheelchair bound. Her body was literally shutting down. Desperate, Jennifer’s husband recalled that a friend had told the couple about treatment at our National Hyperbaric Oxygen Center in Palm Harbor, Florida.

“We should try HBOT therapy”, he urged.

“I’ve had it with treatments!” Jennifer replied.

Later, the young woman confessed that she had almost given up hope of living. But Jennifer listened to testimonials here on our website and read all the information she could. She conferred with her doctors at Drexel, who were all skeptical. They told her that HBOT treatment would never work. But after calling and speaking with Georgia and Marcia here at the center to learn more about hyperbaric oxygen therapy for RSD, Jennifer and her family dropped everything and made the long trek to Florida.

Within two HBOT treatment sessions, Jennifer could wiggle her toes and move her legs again, and she slept through the night for the first time in two years. Her pain went from 8-10 on the pain scale down to around a 5. After five weeks of HBOT, the pain she felt was mostly just related to her physical therapy. Jennifer is now free from RSD, and can drive a car and hold her children again. Remember, the best doctors in the world told her not to waste her time or money on HBOT. Watch Jennifer twirl effortlessly at the end of the video. I’ve not done that for 22 months! she says.

Nothing makes us happier here at the Center than seeing that kind of victory over RSD and other illnesses that doctors pronounce incurable!

Vitamin Cocktail Boosts HBOT’s Healing Power

· HBOT, Healing · Comments Off on Vitamin Cocktail Boosts HBOT’s Healing Power
vitamins

New Hope for RSD and Diabetes: Adding IV Vitamins to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Helps Patients Get Better Faster

It’s nearly impossible to get enough vitamins and minerals through our food intake. And that’s on a normal eating day – never mind when we’re sick! But one thing we can do to greatly accelerate the healing process is to boost our intake of nutrients. When we take vitamins intravenously, they bypass the digestive tract, so our bodies can assimilate them much better.

Pure oxygen delivers nutrients efficiently through the body, too. In fact, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is the most effective treatment I know of for both RSD and stubborn wounds. But researchers have learned that infusing the body with a vitamin cocktail during HBOT can produce an additional nutrient boost that helps free RSD and diabetes patients from pain and other symptoms…Wondering if HBOT with IV Vitamins can help bring you relief? To schedule a pain assessment at our Palm Harbor, Florida, Center, call 727-787-7077.

HBOT with intravenous (IV) vitamins involves receiving pure oxygen while lying in a clear, sealed, hard-shell chamber, while simultaneously receiving nutrients through an IV. One popular IV vitamin therapy is known as the Myers cocktail, which doctors have been using since 2002. We’ve discovered that combining this vitamin cocktail with Hyperbaric Oxygen makes the O2 therapy even more effective than it already is. And that’s great news for those suffering with RSD or with diabetic wounds that are hard to heal.

Oxygen and vitamins are both vital to new cell growth, better health and a stronger immune system. State-of-the-art HBOT treatment uses varying sea-level pressures to power oxygen into areas of the body that regular breathing can’t possibly reach. That oxygen stimulates the growth of new blood vessels, promotes wound healing, boosts the immune system, and even increases the effectiveness of antibiotics. When we add IV vitamins to the mix, the body gets an abundant dose of the fundamental ingredients it needs to function well and heal fast. Patients feel stronger, live better and suffer less pain.

Want to learn more about HBOT and IV Vitamins’ ability to heal RSD and stubborn wounds? Dr. Spiegel will be happy to provide an assessment to determine if you could benefit from the combination treatment. To schedule your personalized appointment online, simply click here. Our office staff will confirm your appointment soon. For many non-healing wounds HBOT is covered by Medicare and other insurances. Otherwise, we can review payment options that help make the treatment affordable. Please call our office at 727-787-7077.

Easing CPRS Symptoms with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

· CPRS, HBOT · Comments Off on Easing CPRS Symptoms with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
HBOT Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment chamber

Easing Chronic CPRS Pain with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has provided relief to many CPRS sufferers, sometimes in combination with other treatments, such as medication and physical therapy. I have practiced neurology for over 25 years, and stumbled upon HBOT accidentally while searching for new ways to help a family member who had suffered a stroke. Believe me, I was as surprised and skeptical as you might be today that high levels of oxygen at sea level pressures could help someone get over stroke symptoms. Still, I felt the research merited further investigation. I’m so glad I persisted. After seeing HBOT’s results for my family member and so many others since then, you could say I am very passionate about the therapy’s healing potential for many conditions. In fact, some CPRS patients at our Palm Harbor, Florida clinic feel their symptoms easing within just a few HBOT sessions.

What Relief Does HBOT Offer the CPRS Patient?

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), is a chronic condition for which no cure currently exists. As well as severe pain, the neurological disorder causes profuse sweating, tissue swelling, skin discoloration, weakened muscles and extreme sensitivity to light and touch. The condition is hard to diagnose accurately, so doctors often only prescribe medications to ease the pain and subsequent depression. A few CPRS patients will find relief with pain meds, but the vast majority continually struggle to cope. With Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps to break the pain cycle without narcotics or needles. The therapy is safe, cost-effective, and painless. During HBOT sessions, patients breathe in pure oxygen at higher than normal air pressures. Supersaturated O2 circulates through the bloodstream where it can deliver vital nutrients to areas of the body that normal breathing could never reach. HBOT helps to decrease swelling and encourage healing. Our patients’ muscle tone improves and they frequently get their first good night’s sleep in years. They report their depression leaves them, they think more clearly, and are often able to resume employment and the activities that bring their lives pleasure.

If you would like to learn more about how HBOT helps to heal CPRS, Dr. Spiegel would like to offer you a personalized assessment to see how well you may respond to treatment in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. You are always welcome to call our office directly at 727-787-7077.

Insurance Coverage For Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment

· HBOT, Insurance · Comments Off on Insurance Coverage For Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment
Insurance Claim

Why Won’t Insurance Cover All Conditions HBOT Helps to Heal?

If I had a penny for every time someone asked me that question, I could paper the sky in gold leaf!

The simple answer as to why insurance covers hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for some patients and not others is that the FDA only officially approves 14 specific conditions for HBOT.

What If My Illness Isn’t on the FDA-Approved List?

We have a drawer full of testimonials from patients who successfully recovered and ended their pain after having HBOT treatments here at our center in Palm Harbor, Florida. And these patients suffered from different conditions than the FDA officially approves HBOT for. But hyperbaric oxygen therapy effectively treats many other illnesses and injuries, and we have solid and promising research on our website that shows this to be true. The FDA does acknowledge and allow licensed healthcare institutions to use HBOT for off-label conditions. Our licensed facility has helped people with just some of the following conditions…

Wondering if HBOT can bring you lasting relief from your symptoms? To schedule a pain assessment at our Palm Harbor, Florida, Center, click here now or call 727-787-7077.

FDA-Approved and Off-Label Uses for HBOT

If you come to our center for any of the conditions listed directly below, providing your illness or injury is serious, Medicare and other insurers generally will cover your treatment:

  1. Acute Hearing Loss – unexplained, rapid loss of hearing
  2. Air or Gas Embolism – caused when air or gas bubbles enter the arteries during diving or when an invasive medical procedure punctures a lung or artery
  3. Arterial Insufficiencies – including non-healing diabetic foot wounds or central retinal artery occlusion (eye strokes)
  4. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
  5. Compromised Skin Grafts and Flaps – when reconstructive surgeries fail due to complications related to blood supply to the skin graft or flap
  6. Crush Injury that causes acute loss of blood flow
  7. Decompression Sickness – suffered by divers who ascend to sea level too quickly
  8. Delayed Radiation Injury – necrotic wounds in soft tissue and bone that occur long after radiation treatments
  9. Gas Gangrene – severe muscle infections known as clostridial myositis and myonecrosis
  10. Intracranial Abscess – infections of the brain, especially in patients with compromised immune systems
  11. Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections – severe infections that progress rapidly from flesh-eatingbacteria
  12. Osteomyelitis – Trauma induced chronic bone infections that resist conventional treatments
  13. Severe Anemia – acute blood loss that occurs from combat wounds or severe trauma
  14. Thermal Burn Injury – Deep burns from fire, steam or hot objects

But here are other off-label conditions that improve when patients get Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments:

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) These occur most frequently in returning combat veterans. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the IsraelDefense Forces (IDF) take very different positions regarding the effectiveness of HBOT. The DoD refuses to acknowledge the therapy’s effectiveness, in spite of the many veterans who say it has helped them much more than narcotic and psychiatric meds. The DoD claims that they can only prescribe hyperbaric oxygen treatment once the FDA has approved its use for PTSD and TBI. But the Israel Defense Forces routinely use HBOT to treat personnel for traumatic shock. In fact, around 120 patients get treatment at The Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research in Israel daily!

Besides these combat related injuries, at our center we have successfully treated the following conditions with HBOT, sometimes in combination with other medical therapies:

  • Broken or Fractured Bones, Cerebral Palsy, Lyme Disease, Macular Degeneration, Migraine Headaches, Multiple Sclerosis, Near Drowning, Peripheral Nerve Regeneration, Post-Polio Syndrome, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Stroke, and other nerve-related disorders.

Injured and sick bodies need oxygen to heal. But breathing in normal room air does not provide nearly enough oxygen to help very ill patients. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy super-saturates blood and tissues with pure O2, in order to bring vital nutrients to areas that need healing. But with so many conditions that HBOT effectively treats, why would the FDA not approve the therapy’s wider use so that insurance companies could provide coverage? Well, here’s the scoop…

  1. Drugs are more profitable for the FDA. Pharmaceutical companies say that on average they must spend around $1 billion per drug in order to get the FDA’s approval. And getting these medications though the approvals process is what pays the agency’s bills and salaries. To make matters worse, many times members of congress leave their congressional posts to work in advisement positions for pharmaceutical companies. As you can imagine, that creates
    enormous conflicts of interest when prioritizing which treatments the FDA will approve.
  2. Patents on Hyperbaric Chambers ran out long ago. This makes bringing the therapy back for off-label uses difficult, if not virtually impossible. The FDA warns patients not to have HBOT for unapproved uses, but the agency fails to disclose that no matter how many HBOT studies validate the therapy’s success, they will likely never approve its use for other conditions.

Like many other doctors and researchers, I continue to beg government agencies to fund more HBOT research. After 14 years of successfully treating numerous conditions with HBOT, I know just how effective it is for healing. But as long as the FDA won’t approve other uses for HBOT, insurers will have the excuse they need not to cover them. It’s as simple as that.

Here at the Center we know that illnesses often make it difficult for patients to remain employed. That’s why when insurance companies won’t cover your condition, we do everything we can to help make treatments affordable.

Multiple Sclerosis and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

· HBOT, Multiple Sclerosis · Comments Off on Multiple Sclerosis and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Googling “Multiple Sclerosis and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy”, will bring up this search result: Be Wary of Multiple Sclerosis “Cures” – Quackwatch. The website it leads to is owned by self-styled quackbuster and former psychiatrist, Stephen Barrett. On his webpage, Mr. Barrett pronounces,

“We found no consistent evidence to confirm a beneficial effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapyfor the treatment of multiple sclerosis and do not believe routine use is justified.”

But before you take his opinion too seriously, you should know that Mr. Barrett has not practiced psychiatry since 1993, when he was forced to give up his medical license. In a 2003 lawsuit against him by consumer advocate Tim Bolen, Mr. Barret actually admitted the following startling fact about his opinion of HBOT and other healing therapies.

Here’s what Mr. Barret of Quackwatch confessed to the court:

“The sole purpose of the activities of Barrett & Baratz are to discredit and cause damage and harm to health care practitioners, businesses that make alternative health therapies or products available, and advocates of non-allopathic therapies and health freedom.”

In truth, Mr. Barrett is generously paid by drug companies and various medical associations to make sure patients will more likely opt for pharmaceuticals over other effective treatments like HBOT. But you might be surprised to learn that some European countries now consider Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to be the first course of treatment for conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, (MS).

As I discussed earlier in my website under the section Multiple Sclerosis and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, there have been many promising studies that have shown that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can, indeed, help successfully reduce or end some of MS’disabling effects. Is the treatment a magic bullet? I freely admit that it’s not. But does it permit MS patients to function better, reduce inflammation and flare-ups, and ease symptoms such as incontinence, pain and fatigue? You bet it does. We see amazing results every day at our Palm Harbor, Florida Center.

If you or someone you love has Multiple Sclerosis, please give our office a call. We will provide an assessment to determine if your MS symptoms could benefit from hyperbaric oxygen treatment. In cases where HBOT is not covered by insurance, we will go over ways to make treatments more affordable. To schedule your appointment online, simply click here or call 727-787-7077.

HBOT for Meniere’s Disease

· Meniere, Tinnitus, Vertigo · Comments Off on HBOT for Meniere’s Disease
HBOT Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment chamber

How HBOT Can Put an End to Crippling Tinnitus and Vertigo:

If you’ve ever gone through a day with your ears ringing, you have just a small taste of what Meniere’s disease sufferers go through on a regular basis. On top of that, imagine how having spells of feeling like you’re rocking on a boat for months at a time could make you feel. Or try spinning around in circles really fast for 30 seconds and then walk in a straight line. Do you think you could? Imagine feeling that dizzy and trying to function normally. Meniere’s disease symptoms can vary widely and they come on suddenly and without warning. Symptoms include pressure in the ears and hearing loss, so needless-to-say, the disorder can really be life shattering. In this week’s blog, I will discuss how Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment can help with Meniere’s disease.

How Those with Meniere’s Disease Suffer

People with Meniere’s can experience bouts of vertigo lasting just a few minutes or for hours. They also get dizziness, nausea, vomiting, profuse sweating, and heart palpitations. Patients can feel quite disoriented. Tinnitus (ringing or chirping in the ears) can lead to headaches, confusion and emotional distress. Sounds can seem loud or distorted. And although some patients’ hearing improves over time, others will suffer long-term hearing loss, even once tinnitus symptoms subside. You can only imagine how unsettling it is to not know when or for how long a Meniere’s episode may occur. No wonder so many sufferers become anxious and depressed! Fortunately, treatments in a Hyperbaric Oxygen chamber can help.

What Causes Meniere’s Disease?

Doctors believe that Meniere’s disease is caused by abnormal amounts of fluid in the inner ear or the chemical composition of that fluid. In order for the sensors in our inner ears to function properly, they require a certain fluid volume, pressure and chemical make-up. No one yet knows what factors cause these fluid abnormalities of Meniere’s disease, but doctors and researchers have identified a number of triggers that could potentially contribute to fluid irregularity. The Mayo Clinic offers this helpful list:

  • Improper fluid drainage, perhaps because of a blockage or anatomic abnormality
  • Abnormal immune response
  • Allergies
  • Viral infection
  • Genetic predisposition
  • Head trauma

Getting Help for Symptoms:

Although there’s currently no cure for Meniere’s disease, several treatments may help patients ease the symptoms. Sea-sickness and anti-nausea medications help with vertigo. Doctors frequently prescribe diuretics to help maintain proper fluid balance. Some Meniere’s disease sufferers benefit from hearing aids, vestibular rehabilitation therapy or a device known as a Meniett. This low pressure pulse generator basically consists of a device box with an earpiece linked by a clear plastic tube that goes into the ear canal and emits a low pressure wave at varying frequencies. The device costs around $3500, and it helps with vertigo, but not tinnitus.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy offers Meniere’s disease patients a non-invasive, safe alternative to medications and surgery. Patients who have undergone HBOT experience a decreased number and severity of vertigo episodes, as well as improved hearing. Two years following treatment at follow-up, these patients tell us that their benefits from HBOT continue.

If you suffer from Meniere’s disease and want to learn how Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy may reduce the severity of your symptoms, please contact us today for a personalized consultation. We can assess your condition to determine if you would benefit from HBOT treatments. In cases where HBOT is not covered by insurance, we will go over ways to make treatments more affordable. To schedule your appointment online, just click here or call 727-787-7077.

Helping Stroke Victims Recover with Hyperbaric Therapy

· HBOT, Stroke · Comments Off on Helping Stroke Victims Recover with Hyperbaric Therapy
Stroke

HBOT Enables Stroke Sufferers to Reverse Symptoms and Renew Lives

Many of my patients have heard how I first stumbled on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) while researching treatments that could help a family member recover after they’d suffered a stroke. Was I skeptical? You bet I was. How could lying in a sealed chamber while breathing in pure oxygen at varying sea-level pressures possibly help stroke victims? But the more I researched, the more I became convinced of the amazing power that HBOT has to heal.

It took me a while to convince some of my family members that we should try the treatment, but I’m so glad I kept pestering them. I saw with my own eyes the difference it made to the life of my relative who suffered the stroke. Since then, I’ve been a complete believer. And after seeing success with many thousands of folks who’ve walked through our Palm Harbor, Florida Center’s door, my enthusiasm for what HBOT can do for stroke victims has only grown. But enough about me! How does lying comfortably in a state-of-the-art sealed chamber while breathing pure oxygen help those who’ve had strokes? Here’s how.

Strokes happen when normal blood circulation and oxygen within the brain gets cut off causing brain tissues to stop functioning. This might happen as the result of a blood clot or cerebral hemorrhage, for example. When people get strokes, their brain neurons quickly die off as these begin starving for oxygen. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy vastly increases oxygen supply to a stroke victim’s fluids and tissues, helping to repair and revive their afflicted body and brain cells.

Depending on which area of their brain has been oxygen-starved, one stroke victim’s symptoms could vary quite widely from another’s. Common symptoms include feeling weak or numb in the arms, legs or face. Some stroke victims could find their limbs get rigid or spastic. Others may find their balance gets impaired or they have double vision. Still others lose the ability to swallow, speak or comprehend others. It’s also common to complain of memory loss, trouble with thinking, and mood changes. Personalities can change quite dramatically, too. We have seen improvements to all of these conditions with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

HBOT works by improving blood flow to a stroke patient’s damaged brain tissues. We call the area of dead brain tissue resulting from blood and oxygen starvation an infarct. How well a stroke victim can recover with hyperbaric treatments (or any other therapy) depends on a number of factors: where the infarct is located, how big it is, and how well the penumbra has been preserved. The penumbra is the area between damaged brain tissue and the part of the brain that remains intact. And while HBOT cannot revive dead tissue, the penumbra contains sleeping brain cells that can be reawakened if they are bathed with high concentrations of 02 that bring vital nutrients to the area. When this happens, brain and body functions also begin to improve.

Here at the National Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center, we also offer treatments to supplement and enhance HBOT’s effects. These may include prescription medications and physical therapy. During the course of treatment sessions, we frequently see patients progress from being wheelchair bound to walking with assistance – or even unassisted. Some patients find their slurred speech improves so much that they’re able to return to their previous jobs. Each improvement gives us and our stroke patients and families every reason to celebrate!

As part of a multi-pronged therapy approach, hyperbaric oxygen treatments can significantly improve the daily lives of those who have suffered a stroke. We’d be happy to provide a personalized assessment with neurologist, Dr. Allan Spiegel to determine if you would benefit from HBOT treatments. In cases where HBOT is not covered by insurance, we will go over ways to make treatments more affordable. To schedule your appointment  call 727-787-7077.

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Use of this site is subject to our terms of service and privacy policy. This site does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information provided is meant as a general source of information only and should not be substituted for sound medical advice. If you are considering one of the treatments or procedures discussed in this site, you should consult further with a medical professional first.