Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy beneficial in TBI recovery

Many soldiers who return from war zones suffer from traumatic brain injury. In fact, blast injury overwhelmingly is the most common wound etiology from soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.

The brain is vulnerable to both secondary blast injury caused by flying debris and fragments and tertiary blast injury, caused by being thrown by blast wind. Blunt trauma is also a concern.

Although there is some controversy whether the brain is vulnerable to primary blast injury, which is caused by the overpressurization wave, animal models suggest that it is.

Consequently, many soldiers try different kinds of treatments upon returning home, including therapies, to relieve themselves of the condition and underlying symptoms, according to an article recently posted on Lera Blog.

“Interestingly, a majority of them have conceded that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has been more beneficial than other treatments that they have undergone. This further highlights the importance of exploring the possibility of using the therapy based treatment for the treatment of traumatic brain injury,” the article reads.

Traumatic brain injury(TBI), also known as intracranial injury, occurs when an external force traumatically injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism, or other features.

Head injury usually refers to TBI, but is a broader category because it can involve damage to structures other than the brain, such as the scalp and skull.

“What constitutes a major difficulty related to the condition is the fact that unlike an injury to any other part of the body, it brings both psychological and neurological symptoms traumatic injury to the brain,” the article reads. “Therefore, the symptoms and disabilities that arise from it oftentimes have a devastating effect on both body and mind. In many cases, a TBI may go undetected. Further, the symptoms of TBI may either appear immediately or gradually down the line. Based on severity, TBI is classified as either mild or severe.”

Hyperbaric medicine, also known as hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), is the medical use of oxygen at a level higher than atmospheric pressure.

The equipment required consists of a pressure chamber, which may be of rigid or flexible construction, and a means of delivering 100 percent oxygen through a mask the patient wears. The barometric pressure in the tube or chamber is also heightened to more than normal.

“Two types of tubes or chambers are used to administer the therapy – monoplace and multiplace. The former is designed to accommodate only 1 person in a session, whereas the latter can accommodate two or more people in it at the same time,” the article reads. “For safety, a qualified practitioner is present throughout a session. The FDA has approved HBOT for treating 13 medical conditions. It is also used for treating other medical conditions.”

HBOT brings cells back to life, which enables the cells to heal wounds. The treatment also enhances the cells ability to fight infections.