Health Canada Recognized Treatments
Internationally HBOT is used to help manage and even treat certain health conditions. They fit into two categories, Approved treatments and Emerging Conditions.
Approved Treatments
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a well-established healthcare treatment
In October 2011, the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society recognized the therapy as an effective treatment for 14 specific conditions:
- Embolisms (air or gas bubbles in the bloodstream, which may travel to the brain or lungs);
- Carbon monoxide poisoning (from inhaling smoke or car exhaust);
- Gas gangrene;
- Crush injury, Compartment Syndrome and other acute traumatic problems where blood flow is reduced or cut off (ex: frostbite);
- Decompression sickness (the bends);
- Enhancement of healing for wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers;
- Exceptional blood loss (anaemia);
- Intracranial abscess;
- Necrotizing soft tissue infections (flesh-eating disease);
- Osteomyelitis (bone infection);
- Delayed radiation injury (e.g., radiation burns that develop after cancer therapy);
- Skin grafts and flaps that are not healing well;
- Thermal burns (e.g., from fire or electrical sources); and
- Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL).
Emerging
Conditions
Internationally, HBOT is gaining rapid popularity and success treating or helping manage the symptoms of:
- Post-traumatic brain injury
- Long Covid syndrome
- Faster healing from surgeries
- Increased Overall energy
- Multiple sclerosis symptom improvement
- Post Stroke complications
- Post-concussion syndrome
- Autistic spectrum disorder
- Enhanced immune system function
- Chronic headaches
- Fibromyalgia
- Reduction in signs of aging (antioxidant protection)
- Sports-related injuries
- Lyme disease
- Reduced inflammation and associated pain
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Parkinson’s disease
It is important to note that many of the conditions listed above have no definitive treatment, however many new articles and publications suggest HBOT to be an effective method of managing or reducing the associated symptoms.
