MILD (SOFT) HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY CHARLOTTE
NON-INVASIVE MILD HBOT FOR
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, or mild HBOT, is a therapy that involves what's known as a Hyperbaric chamber. The chamber can be described as a space or pod-like structure in which you sit or lie down. In this chamber is where the magic of Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy happens. Mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a therapy that increases oxygen concentration in the blood and body tissues by increasing the environmental pressure, enhancing the body's natural healing process.
At Better Brain & Body, our mild HBOT chamber is 8.5’ x 5’, a spacious size that makes you feel comfortable and free to sit up or move around if you need to. This therapy is widely accessible, as it is wheelchair compatible and has more than enough room for parents to accompany children. We also have a lounge chair or a bed for comfort during a session. Please don't hesitate to text our team on The Scheduling App before your appointment to request your accommodations.
There are two types of HBOT Chambers: Soft Shell (also called Mild) and Hard Shell Chambers. Better Brain & Body has a Mild, Soft Shell chamber, a holistic alternative to traditional Hard Shell Chambers often found in medical clinics. Check out the difference below.
In a mild HBOT session, the chamber is pressurized to a higher level than normal outside air pressure, allowing the lungs and the body to take in more oxygen than outside the chamber. This increased oxygen intake in the HBOT chamber promotes a long list of benefits that can improve short- and long-term life. Red blood cells in the body serve various functions, including the vital task of carrying oxygen and nutrients to different areas in the body. HBOT allows oxygen to spread to areas of the body that red blood cells may not be able to reach, letting potentially damaged areas of the body heal faster. Similarly, the increased oxygen and pressure intake promote angiogenesis: the formation of new blood vessels and capillaries. With more oxygen and nutrients delivered to the body through the development of new blood vessels, this can speed up the natural healing processes while also keeping you healthy.
A typical mildHBOT session at Better Brain & Body is 45 minutes to 60 minutes long. If your session involves other protocols or therapies, we typically can integrate them into your HBOT session.
Now that some science has been covered, let's answer the central question:
Sources: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-oxidative-stress#:~:text=Oxidative%20stress%20has%20more%20harmful,or%20cancer%2C%20in%20some%20cases. https://carbonwellnessmd.com/blogs/hyperbaric-chambers/answering-the-question-are-soft-hyperbaric-chambers-effective-our-recommendation-for-summit-to-sea Akamatsu, Yosuke, and Khalid A Hanafy. “Cell Death and Recovery in Traumatic Brain Injury.” Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics vol. 17,2 (2020): 446-456. doi:10.1007/s13311-020-00840-7 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24206-angiogenesis#:~:text=Angiogenesis%20is%20the%20process%20of,to%20your%20organs%20and%20tissues. https://www.redcrossblood.org/local-homepage/news/article/function-of-blood-cells.html#:~:text=The%20red%20blood%20cell's%20main,to%20a%20protein%20called%20hemoglobin.
What Are the Benefits of Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
1. Increased Oxygen Delivery: Summit to Sea, the company that produces our HBOT chamber, writes in a blog post that soft HBOT expands the amount of oxygen delivered to the body and tissues by 400%. This can enhance the function of our cells (the vital life forces that keep us alive) and promote various forms of wellness and recovery.
2. Reduce Inflammation: HBOT has anti-inflammatory effects that can reduce swelling and improve health in various conditions.
3. Enhanced Therapeutic Recovery: Increasing oxygen to the body can speed up restorative processes and recovery while promoting tissue repair in different situations such as sports injuries, post-surgical recovery, carbon monoxide poisoning, gangrene, infections, and concussions or TBI-related conditions.
4. Improved Immune Function: Increasing oxygen levels in the body also promotes white blood cell production, thus enhancing the body's immune system.
5. Boosted Energy: Mild HBOT chambers can increase energy levels and mental clarity.
6. Detoxification: Higher oxygen levels in a soft/mild hyperbaric chamber can aid the detoxification process by enhancing cellular metabolism, which assists in the disposal of waste and toxins from the body.
7. Sleep Quality: Some patients have reported better sleep quality and sleep patterns after utilizing a soft hyperbaric chamber.
8. Improved TBI or Brain Injury Symptoms & Conditions: Soft (or Mild) Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy chambers have been suggested to improve neuroplasticity in the brain. Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize, adapt, and form new neural connections. As we age or suffer a traumatic brain injury, neurons in the brain can die, altering our daily and long-term lives. HBOT can contribute to neurogenesis through the increase in oxygen. Neurogenesis is the production of new neurons and connections in the brain, thus counteracting the effects a traumatic brain injury may have on someone's brain and allowing neuroplasticity to play its part.
9. Athletic Performance Training: Athletes worldwide have used Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy chambers for athletic performance and recovery. With enhanced tissue health, reduced inflammation, and improved oxygen delivery, athletes or active people can experience a faster recovery from fatigue, increased energy and stamina, and enhanced cell functioning. It's no wonder HBOT is a regular tool in top athletes' recovery routines.
10. Anti-aging and Skin Health: Some patients use HBOT to improve skin health and potentially slow aging. While studies are ongoing on the potential anti-aging benefits, the way HBOT works may suggest a capacity for slowing down the aging process on the skin.
11. Stem Cell Stimulation: Researchers are noticing possible stem cell activation in response to HBOT, potentially resulting in increased tissue regeneration. But more research is needed to confirm if these findings hold.
12. Improvement in Neurological Conditions: While more research is needed, some studies have shown that Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy creates a substantial environment for recovery and symptom management of acute and chronic Neurological conditions, such as:
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Cerebral Palsy
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Parkinson's Disease
- Post-Concussion Syndrome
Even with 12 potential benefits on this list, many more conditions, situations, and individuals can or may benefit from mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. If you do not see information about your condition or concern on this page, call us or click the Schedule Appointment button at the top of your screen to set up a free consultation with Dr. Alicia Brown to see if this therapy is suitable for you or a loved one.
Who Shouldn't Use Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
It is important to note that one should always consult with their physician(s) about undergoing any new health modality in their wellness routine. If you are unsure if this therapy is right for you, you can also speak directly with Dr. Alicia Brown on a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to learn more.
Individuals who have any of the following long or short-term conditions should not use mild HBOT and should consult with their primary doctor:
- Uncontrolled High Fever
- Untreated Pneumothorax
- History of Spontaneous Pneumothorax
- Active Respiratory Infections
- Severe Congestive Heart Failure
- Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Individuals with severe Claustrophobia
- Pregnancy
- Certain medications
- Recent Ear Surgery injury, or infection
- Lung Disease
- Common Cold or Sickness
What Is The Difference Between Mild and Hard Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Mild HBOT refers to the soft, inflatable chamber comprising a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy chamber. A soft chamber is safe and pressurizes the air around you. During therapy, you may be externally connected to an oxygen cannula via the nostrils. In Mild HBOT chambers, pressurized air allows the oxygen from the nose cannula to penetrate the body, delivering it to tissues, muscles, the brain, and more to assist health and recovery. Mild HBOT chambers differ in their oxygen delivery percentage from medical grade hard chambers, but are usually between 24-90% with pressures less than 1.3 ATA.
In contrast, a hard HBOT chamber is exactly as it sounds. It is a hard chamber that does not inflate like a mild (soft) chamber. According to Hyperbaric Pro, a hard chamber operates at pressures over 1.5 ATA with 100% oxygen. However, 100% oxygen in Hard Chambers is flammable under the wrong conditions, posing a possible fire risk to manage. Soft HBOT chambers do not have any associated fire risks due to the decreased pressure and oxygen concentration. Some individuals use Hard HBOT chambers because the 100% oxygen concentration can assist very niche medical conditions like wounds, decompression sickness, and carbon monoxide poisoning, among other conditions. While Hard Chambers technically allow more tissue oxygenation, many medical conditions respond well to lower oxygenation, like in a soft HBOT chamber, without the associated fire risks in Hard HBOT chambers, according to Hyperbaric Pro.
If you are interested in how mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can help you or a loved one, please call us at 704-752-8100 or click the button below to schedule a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation with our lead doctor, Dr. Alicia Brown.
