Disease, injury and aging cause areas of low oxygen tension. One method of correcting this deficiency is to breathe 100% oxygen. However, some conditions require a greater increase in oxygen tension to stimulate healing and combat infections. This hyper-oxygenation can only be achieved when breathing oxygen at increased pressure. This treatment is called hyperbaric oxygen therapy or HBO₂.

HBO₂ is a recognized and accepted medical treatment available worldwide. Most major hospitals and some clinical centers have a hyperbaric department. These centers are equipped to treat conditions such as thermal burns, bone and tissue radiation injuries from cancer therapy (e.g. osteo-radionecrosis), air/gas embolism, scuba diving injuries, carbon monoxide poisoning/smoke inhalation, gas gangrene, crush injuries, necrotizing soft tissue infections (flesh-eating disease), compartment syndrome, compromised skin grafts and flaps and enhanced healing in problem wounds. 

HBO₂ is also used for many chronic conditions that don't respond to more traditional treatments. Chronic HBO₂ applications may be placed into the following categories.

Some web sites of interest are: 

www.spinalrehab.com.au                                    www.oceanhbo.com 

                                     www.hyperbarics.org           

Dr. Harch's site, hyperbarics.org, and Dr. Neubauer's, oceanhbo.com, have SPECT scans showing visually the effects of HBO₂ for brain conditions. 

HBO₂ international treatment indications. 

UHMS indications.

Each country's medical associations support a list of approved indications for the uses of HBO₂. The current list of approved disorders accepted as indications for HBO₂ may be found for each of the following societies.

Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS), 

American College of Hyperbaric Medicine (ACHM), 

European Underwater and Baromedical Society (EUBS), 

South Pacific Underwater Medical Society (SPUMS),

German Society of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine (GTUEM)

Japanese Society for Hyperbaric Medicine (JSHM),

Chinese Society of Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine (CSHOM),

South African Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Association (SAUHMA)

HBO₂ is a medical treatment which substantially increases the amount of available oxygen to the body. The methods used follows Henry's Law. The manifestation of this law is demonstrated when one breathes a gas, such as oxygen, at elevated atmospheric pressure. The oxygen will proportionally dissolve in all the body's tissues.

Normally, the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood depends on hemoglobin located inside the red blood cell and the hemoglobin percent oxygen saturation (Hb %SaO₂) which is usually at 98%. 

When breathing oxygen at elevated pressure, O₂ completely saturates the hemoglobin. Oxygen also dissolves in the body's tissues and fluids. The fluid portion of the blood called the plasma normally transports very little oxygen; however with HBO₂ plasma absorb up to 20x times its normal amount. It is this hyper-oxygenated plasma which can reach areas of the body where blood circulation is restricted and oxygen levels are insufficient. HBO₂ also increases the deformability of red blood cells which facilitates their passage through capillaries and a series of treatments can grow more capillaries, a process called angiogenesis. Additionally  HBO₂ prevents an attack by the immune system on areas of the body recently reperfused with blood and assists white blood cells kill invaders. 

The Richmond Hyperbaric Health Center operates two fully certified hyperbaric multiplace chambers which comply with ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) and PVHO (Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy) regulations.  

In the majority of conditions, HBO₂ is best used in combination with other forms of therapy such as physical therapy, nutritional counseling, acupuncture, massage therapy, acupressure and pre and post surgery.