Multiple sclerosis (MS) makes life unpredictable, with symptoms like fatigue, muscle weakness, and brain fog commonly disrupting your daily routine. While there’s no cure, treatments aim to manage symptoms, slow disease progression, and maintain quality of life. One innovative treatment worth considering is hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Discover how HBOT works and how it can help MS patients.
What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
HBOT is a non-invasive option that involves breathing pure oxygen in a specially pressurized chamber. The increased oxygen levels help your blood deliver more oxygen throughout your body, which promotes healing and reduces inflammation. Originally used for conditions like decompression sickness and radiation tissue damage, HBOT is now being explored for other health issues, including multiple sclerosis.
MS Symptom Management with Oxygen Therapy
MS is a chronic autoimmune condition where the immune system damages the protective covering of nerve fibers (myelin). This damage disrupts communication between the brain and body, causing a wide range of physical and cognitive symptoms.
HBOT isn’t a cure for MS, but it may help manage symptoms. Some benefits of HBOT for MS patients include:
- Enhanced tissue repair: Higher oxygen levels in the body promote tissue repair in affected areas of the brain and spinal cord.
- Reduced inflammation: Oxygen calms inflammation, a significant factor in many autoimmune conditions, including MS.
- Decreased fatigue and brain fog: More oxygen means more fuel for cells, which leads to improved energy and mental clarity.
- Pain management: HBOT has been shown to reduce MS-related pain and improve patients’ quality of life.
- Enhanced immunity: By supporting the immune system, HBOT can lower the frequency and severity of MS relapses.
- Neuroprotective effects: Higher oxygen levels from HBOT protect nerve cells and help them regenerate, making muscles function better.
What Does Research Say About HBOT and MS?
A long-term study followed 703 people with MS over 10 to 13 years to see how hyperbaric oxygen therapy might affect their symptoms and disease progression. Participants initially underwent 20 HBOT sessions over four weeks, followed by regular maintenance treatments. Many reported improvements in walking (77%), fatigue (70%), bladder function (68%), and balance (59%).
The study also highlighted the safety of HBOT, with well over a million individual sessions completed without incident. Researchers noted that starting therapy early and sticking to a maintenance plan delivered the best results. Those who received long-term HBOT sessions on a weekly or bi-weekly basis experienced maximum benefits and slowed the progression of their disease the most1.
Choose Baromedical Associates for HBOT
If you’re contemplating hyperbaric therapy for neurological recovery as an MS patient, consult your healthcare provider for personalized advice based on your medical history and current condition. If you decide to pursue treatment, Baromedical Associates can help.
We’re at the forefront of oxygen therapy for autoimmune conditions, offering cutting-edge care in FDA-approved, single-person hyperbaric chambers. Our dedication to innovation and personalized treatment draws patients from across the globe to our four locations in the Dallas Metro area. Contact us today to learn whether HBOT could be part of your MS management plan.
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