Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is pain that persists or recurs for over three months, often continuing beyond the expected period of tissue healing. It results from complex interactions involving central sensitization, neuropathic mechanisms, and altered nociceptive processing. Unlike acute pain, which serves a protective function, chronic pain is considered a distinct condition that can significantly impact physical and emotional well-being. Examples include fibromyalgia, chronic back pain, and neuropathic disorders.
Chronic pain is pain that persists or recurs for over three months, often continuing beyond the expected period of tissue healing. It results from complex interactions involving central sensitization, neuropathic mechanisms, and altered nociceptive processing. Unlike acute pain, which serves a protective function, chronic pain is considered a distinct condition that can significantly impact physical and emotional well-being. Examples include fibromyalgia, chronic back pain, and neuropathic disorders.
How Hyperbarics Helps
Alleviates chronic pain by modulating central nervous system mechanisms, decreasing hypersensitivity in conditions such as fibromyalgia.
Increases tolerance to pain through effects on conditioned pain modulation, surpassing standard pharmacological treatments.
Improves brain activity in key areas (prefrontal and temporal regions), contributing to functional restoration and symptom relief.
Releases nitric oxide and endogenous opioids (e.g., dynorphin), which inhibit pain signals in the spinal cord and brain.
Provides effective pain relief without the risks of long-term opioid use, making it a viable
HBOT reduces central sensitization and promotes neuroplasticity for chronic pain management
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has demonstrated potential in managing chronic pain, particularly fibromyalgia, by reducing central sensitization and improving symptoms. Studies show HBOT can outperform pharmacological treatments such as pregabalin and duloxetine, especially in fibromyalgia patients with histories of childhood trauma, improving physical, emotional, and functional outcomes. Additionally, HBOT enhances neuroplasticity by increasing pre-frontal and temporal brain activity, correlating with symptom relief. Its mechanism includes activating nitric oxide and endogenous opioids, providing significant pain relief while avoiding the side effects of opioids, making it a promising adjunct in comprehensive pain management strategies.
Research Studies
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) shows promise in managing chronic pain by targeting central sensitization in fibromyalgia.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) shows promise in managing chronic pain by targeting central sensitization in fibromyalgia.
HBOT outperforms traditional pharmacological treatments in fibromyalgia, particularly for patients with a history of childhood trauma.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) offers significant advantages for managing fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), particularly in patients with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Compared to standard pharmacological treatments (Pregabalin and Duloxetine), HBOT demonstrated superior improvements in physical, emotional, and functional outcomes, as measured by Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) scores, pain thresholds, and conditioned pain modulation. HBOT also increased brain activity in pre-frontal and temporal regions, correlating with symptom relief and suggesting a neuroplasticity effect. These findings underscore HBOT's potential as an effective therapeutic approach for chronic pain in FMS, with benefits extending beyond symptom reduction to neural functional restoration.
HBOT outperforms traditional pharmacological treatments in fibromyalgia, particularly for patients with a history of childhood trauma.
HBOT outperforms traditional pharmacological treatments in fibromyalgia, particularly for patients with a history of childhood trauma.
HBOT provides effective pain relief by stimulating natural painkillers and enhancing brain activity, offering a safe alternative to opioids.
HBOT has been shown to effectively reduce pain in animal models. It works by stimulating the release of natural pain-relieving chemicals in the body, including nitric oxide (NO) and endogenous opioids like dynorphin. These chemicals interact with specific receptors in the spinal cord and brain to block pain signals.
HBOT offers several advantages for chronic pain management. It taps into the body's natural pain control systems, providing both short-term and longer-lasting pain relief without the side effects of opioid drugs. HBOT may be a useful option, particularly for patients who do not respond well to or want to avoid long-term opioid medication.
HBOT provides effective pain relief by stimulating natural painkillers and enhancing brain activity, offering a safe alternative to opioids.
Patient Experiences
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Lisa, 44
After seven years of suffering, hyperbaric oxygen therapy healed her osteomyelitis.
Lisa St John, the clinic director for Bay Area Hyperbarics, had chronic refractory osteomyelitis that lasted seven years with no relief. The infection induced severe fatigue and cognitive impairment that prevented her from working, and required her to sleep up to 18 hours per day. Finally, a physician recommended hyperbaric oxygen therapy with antibiotics, which after 60 treatments, healed her. Shortly after being healed, she sold her home to begin her first hyperbaric oxygen therapy clinic, which she has owned for almost 25 years!
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Jennifer, 68
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy eliminated the need for surgery to heal her bone infection.
Jennifer had osteomyelitis of the lower jaw (mandible), which proved difficult to heal. Her teeth were becoming loose, and her doctor thought she would need surgery. However, he prescribed hyperbaric oxygen therapy before the surgery, and after 60 treatments, her chronic refractory osteomyelitis healed completely, regrowing bone in her mandible. Jennifer was able to keep her teeth, and was able to return to her active lifestyle, hiking regularly with her husband.
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Related Articles
Research on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
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What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy treats medical conditions with 100% oxygen in a pressurized hyperbaric chamber. The patient lies or sits in the chamber. The oxygen then saturates the plasma in the blood, allowing oxygen to easily flow throughout the body and reach even areas that are injured or diseased, which typically receive less oxygen. The mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen therapy include stimulating and mobilizing stem cells, down-regulating inflammatory genes, up-regulating reproductive cells and stimulating DNA. HBOT also regrows tiny blood vessels, and stimulates the growth of new healthy cells in the brain, bones, skin, organs, and tissues. People seek hyperbaric oxygen therapy to heal physical damage in their bodies and to promoting health and anti-aging.
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Does HBOT kill cancer cells?
Current research indicates that hyperbaric oxygen does not kill cancer cells. However, there has been a small amount of research indicating that hyperbaric oxygen might reduce the size of certain tumors. Also, there has been a study on mice using hyperbaric oxygen, along with a ketogenic diet, to reduce tumors. Hyperbaric oxygen causes many different healing modalities to kick into gear. Could its effect on strengthening the immune system inhibit the growth of cancer cells? Nobody knows. There are numerous studies conclusively showing that hyperbaric oxygen does not encourage cancer cells or tumors to grow. Some patients claim the hyperbaric oxygen makes them feel a lot more comfortable and functional after chemotherapy and also during healing. Note that some chemotherapy drugs are not to be used with hyperbaric oxygen, as the chemotherapy drugs can be enhanced and thus become toxic. A good hyperbaric oxygen facility (such as Bay Area Hyperbarics) will always call the chemotherapy manufacturer to ensure that hyperbaric oxygen therapy will be helpful and not damaging to the patient.
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IWhat is the CPT code for HBOT?
The CPT code for HBOT is G0277.
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Does Medicare cover HBOT?
Medicare covers Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for approved conditions, and many insurance companies also cover approved conditions. If your condition is not approved by your insurance, we can discuss our special rates. Give us a call at (408) 356–7438. We are happy to discuss your options with you.
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Can HBOT help Neuropathy?
Hyperbaric treatments help heal neuropathy by regrowing small blood vessels and nerves that have died from disease, injuries from radiation and aging. Patients often experience numbness and or pain when they start treatment. Hyperbaric treatments most often bring back sensation and make, for example, walking easier and more enjoyable.
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Why would a physician consider HBOT?
A physician would consider using hyperbaric chamber therapy under a variety of situations. Physicians most typically refer patients to hyperbarics when the patient is not healing with traditional medical interventions and hyperbaric chamber therapy is approved by Medicare for this condition. Some patients experience significant unresolved pain and unremitting disease states that the mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a hyperbaric chamber are known to affect, such as the down regulation of inflamatory genes. For an example, some patients have experienced severe, unremitting hives with itching, which did not improve with any specialists interventions. Some physicians will consider hyperbaric chamber therapy if the patient has no other good avenues for improving their failing health, and they know the hyperbaric chamber therapy is safe and will not harm the patient.
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What is Hypebaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HB0T) is a medical treatment where you inhale 100% oxygen in a chamber with increased atmospheric pressure. HBOT injects 400x the oxygen into your tissues and bones and mobilizes stem cells. It regrows healthy tissues in the brain, blood vessels, skin and bones. It also reduces pain and swelling, and speeds recovery. It is simple, effective and painless.
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