Hyperbaric treatment for brain injury and strokes

[pelan-pelan]

Does anyone have any comments regarding hyperbaric treatment for brain injury and strokes? I had post concussion syndrome and still have some problems. There is nothing major on my MRI scan. I found accidentally that diving - just in a swimming pool - made me feel a lot better. Tinnitus reduced, giddiness reduced and improved interpretation of auditory signals. Is it worth taking up the opportunity for some hyperbaric sessions?

 

[Akimbo]

HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment) is used for a variety of brain injuries.

US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for traumatic brain injury: bench-to-bedside

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Does anyone have any comments regarding hyperbaric treatment for brain injury and strokes? I had post concussion syndrome and still have some problems. There is nothing major on my MRI scan. I found accidentally that diving - just in a swimming pool - made me feel a lot better. Tinnitus reduced, giddiness reduced and improved interpretation of auditory signals. Is it worth taking up the opportunity for some hyperbaric sessions?

As @Akimbo noted, there is some work being done on hyperbaric oxygen and traumatic brain injury. Here's a link to the US government clinical trials website. Of note, this is actual hyperbaric oxygen therapy, not just a mild increase in pressure with a normoxic breathing mix. There is a large therapeutic difference, and for clarity, one should not try to duplicate hyperbaric oxygen therapy conditions under water.

That said, from an individual perspective, if the diving works for you then it works for you! But, I would definitely recommend checking in with your consultant about this if you haven't done so already.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

We have friends who's daughter was in a bad car accident. T boned drivers side. She ultimately regained her ability to walk and function in all ways except to speak. She did 20 chamber rides, but I believe they were much later in her treatment. For us scuba divers we are a very small group of people that know about 1.4 ATA of Oxygen and chamber rides. Wish she could have had chamber ride super early in her treatment. Perhaps it would have helped her.

 

[Akimbo]

Is it worth taking up the opportunity for some hyperbaric sessions?

For what is it worth, I would jump at the chance to get HBOT treatment with almost any injury. The risk of harm is VERY low and potential for gain is far from insignificant. In any case, you would add to the knowledge base of HBOT efficacy.

 

[pelan-pelan]

Thank you for your comments. In the UK, Hyperbaric Therapy is little known or understood - except by those directly involved. I had a word with the guys running what I think is the only major decompression chamber in England, if not the UK. They were very positive about the benefits. But not happy about the ignorance of the therapeutic implications. The London Chamber has closed. I have arranged to go to a small local chamber that only goes down to 10m. It is used primarily for MS and is run as a charity. It may not be deep enough - in which case I will have to drive for 3 hours to get to the big chamber. It will be a matter of trying to measure/assess how effective the treatment is, and how long it lasts.
Diving, even in the local pool, helps, but symptoms come back after about a week. If I'm down the pool every Saturday, so be it.
Will post again if I come to any conclusions - it may be helpful to others with concussion and/or stroke.

 

[pelan-pelan]

Thank you for your comments. In the UK, Hyperbaric Therapy is little known or understood - except by those directly involved. I had a word with the guys running what I think is the only major decompression chamber in England, if not the UK. They were very positive about the benefits. But not happy about the ignorance of the therapeutic implications. The London Chamber has closed. I have arranged to go to a small local chamber that only goes down to 10m. It is used primarily for MS and is run as a charity. It may not be deep enough - in which case I will have to drive for 3 hours to get to the big chamber. It will be a matter of trying to measure/assess how effective the treatment is, and how long it lasts.
Diving, even in the local pool, helps, but symptoms come back after about a week. If I'm down the pool every Saturday, so be it.
Will post again if I come to any conclusions - it may be helpful to others with concussion and/or stroke.

I said I would post again. Months on, I still have problems, particularly with processing audio. ie if you ask me a direct question there is a delay in response. Sadly this looks like deceit or obstruction. The dishonest, slidy pause. I have to tell people that it is not that. I have had an assessment and fortunately my eyes and memory brain links are fine. I just wish I could find someone who can test my reactions to orders/questions held up on a placard against orders or questions delivered verbally. Even would you like a cup of coffee?!!!

Hyperbaric therapy helped, but too little too late for me

Conclusion - if you have a concussion, or a stroke no mater how mild - get yourself down to 30 metres in a hyperbaric chamber as soon as possible.

Also, at the small chamber (3 metres) I went to, they were having considerable success with people recovering from Covid or experiencing long Covd. And Cancer.

 

[Akimbo]

I just ran across this video that discusses a study on HBOT for regenerating brain cells after a stroke:

​

Click here for a list of Dr Shai Efrati's papers on HBOT.

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

Does anyone have any comments regarding hyperbaric treatment for brain injury and strokes? I had post concussion syndrome and still have some problems. There is nothing major on my MRI scan. I found accidentally that diving - just in a swimming pool - made me feel a lot better. Tinnitus reduced, giddiness reduced and improved interpretation of auditory signals. Is it worth taking up the opportunity for some hyperbaric sessions?

Based on what I have seen in friends I think that you have little to lose and plenty to gain trying HBOT, and when diving using nitrox etc.

 

[Akimbo]

... I think that you have little to lose and plenty to gain trying HBOT...

Unfortunately, HBOT is quite expensive and geographically inconvenient for most people. That could change if Dr Shai Efrati's studies can be replicated and approved as a standard of care by insurers and Medicare in the US.