Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments
Breathing oxygen-concentrated air while in our hyperbaric chamber leads to more than a 75% increased dissolved oxygen level in your blood and tissues. This tremendous increase in the diffusion gradient of oxygen leaving the bloodstream and thereafter entering the surrounding-cell area, leads to oxygen readily entering all your tissue’s cells.
The oxygen concentrated air derives from a 5 or 10 litre/minute oxygen concentrator, placed at the foot of the hyperbaric chamber. It is delivered via a nasal cannula or non-rebreather mask through a port in the wall of the chamber. The chamber pressure for our particular device can reach 1.3 atmospheres (normal sea level atmospheres pressure is 1). This combination of oxygen-enriched air and increased bariatric pressure, is all you need to flood your body with healing oxygen.
There are many case reports illustrating significant positive effects of hyperbaric treatment on the brain. For example, convincing results demonstrate that HBOT can induce neuroplasticity and significant brain function improvements in mild TBI patients with prolonged Post-Concussion-Syndrome at late chronic stage, years after injury. HBOT can be effective in treating other brain impairments, like easing PTSD symptoms or repairing radiation damage. It is also reasonable to expect that HBOT can help slow down or even reverse metabolic disorders associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
Oxygen-boosted blood helps to stimulate the release of helpful substances like growth factors and stem cells. Research confirms an overall sustained improvement in cellular mitochondrial mass and mitochondrial respiratory capacity with regular HBOT use. Longterm, HBOT holds promise for improving metabolic health by enhancing oxygen delivery to tissues, reducing areas of impaired oxygenation and inflammation and increasing our mitochondrial energy-generating efficiency.
When Dr. Sierra helps you to design a protocol to boost your overall health, it’s wise to consider the therapeutic effects of HBOT.
Her main mission in offering HBOT at the Wellness Center, is to optimise health and well-being using integrative methods that bring together science, technology, human physiology, herbal medicine, manual therapies, and nutrition. In practice, if you can design the right balance with sleep, nutrition, exercise, work, personal development and mindfulness, your body will thank you with a better functioning body and brain, improved health and overall enhanced life expectancy.
The purpose of considering a technological offering like HBOT is to implement the 20% of technological advances and upgrades that will bring you 80% of the hoped-for results. In terms of efficiency, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is part of that 20% that can make a very significant difference.
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What You Can Expect During a Treatment
​You lie down inside the 30 inch diameter tube-shaped chamber with dual zipper mechanisms that are operable from both the inside and outside. Dr. Sierra will be with you while the chamber is pressurising and instruct you on how to equalise air pressure in your middle ear so as to be comfortable with the higher pressure. At any time the pressure can be dropped or kept the same to allow you plenty of time to equilibrate middle ear and outside pressure. It is exactly like what one must do occasionally while flying.
There are large windows for Dr Sierra to communicate with and see you, and for you to see out. True claustrophobia is rare in the chamber and at any time even from the inside you may initiate release of pressure.
Once the chamber reaches 1.3 ATA (Average Atmospheric Air Pressure) the air is refreshed by mechanical valves opening at the foot in order to equilibrate the pressure at 1.3 to keep the air constantly renewing. It will feel airy and relaxing and most people nap during the 1 to 1.5 hours in the chamber. During this time you will be receiving 5 or 10 litre/minute oxygen concentrated air delivered via nasal cannula.
You will immediately notice that your breaths are deeper and less frequent because all your oxygen needs are met so easily. Your chest will expand really easily and effortlessly with just this .3 ATA increase. You will want to to rain yourself to breathe at a close to regular rate via the nose to maximally pick up the oxygen concentrated air.
No one really knows how frequently one should see HBOT but it seems as frequent as possible would be the suggestion, especially when one is trying to heal from some immediate health setback. Some reputable National Institute of Health sources have looked at the great number of retained health improvements that follow a 40 day course at 1 to 1.5 hours per day HBOT usage. Even singular teatments, however, make an observable and sustained difference.
Since your body is used to functioning with lower oxygen levels, it may take several weeks to observe positive changes. However, even if you do not feel immediate relief, the hyperbaric chamber treatment works to heal your body at a cellular level. You may feel somewhat hungry following your treatment. You may also experience a temporary fatigue as your body adapts to enhanced oxygen saturation. Or you may feel greatly invigorated, with freer movement of air into and out of you lungs. You may notice an immediate improvement in the quality of your sleep. You do not need to limit normal activities.
Hyperbaric Chamber Session Demonstration
Specific Conditions Helped by HBOT
Allergies, Arthritis, and Asthma
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Autism and Spectrum Nervous System Imbalances
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Anxiety and Depression
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Alzheimer’s, Degenerative Nervous System Diseases
(such as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease, Cerebral and Bell’s Palsies)
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Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries including Stroke
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Cancers
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Immune Dysfunctions of all types
(even the Infection of a Slowly Resolving Respiratory Illness)
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Chronic infection including Lyme Disease and AIDS/HIV
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Cirrhosis and Hepatic Infections (Hepatitis)
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Fibromyalgia
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Gastrointestinal Ulcers
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Heart disease including recent ischemic events
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Lyme Disease
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Sports Injuries
Number of Sessions
It's not uncommon for as many as 10, 20, 30, 40 or even 80 total sessions be recommended. Ongoing weekly treatment with HBOT should be considered after a longer stintst of treatment. Treatment length is usually less than 90 minutes. You may read or listen to music and you may bring your cell phone into the chamber. You will have access to communication with me, or another, during your treatment. Ultimately because the chamber can be solely operated once you are fully trained, you are the one with complete control of the start and stop point. (The valves and zippers can open equally from the inside or the outside.)
Possible side effects and contraindications
Possible symptoms or side effects after HBOT can include fatigue and lightheadedness. These are rare. You may also have a temporary near sighted vision.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has some contraindications, due to preexisting conditions, and these include lung conditions that could lead to lung collapse. However the ATA is just 1.3 and this is nowhere near the highest level that these machines can go, which is 6.0 ATA, so there is almost no concern for this situation. Other relative contraindications may include: upper respiratory or sinus infections if you try equilibrium strategies and fail to be able to open the auditory tube; recent ear surgery, fever, and claustrophobia.
Your healthcare provider will be with you for the initiation of the treatment to insure your comfort and safety, and to make adjustments of various types. She will check in with you once the device is fully inflated and at 1 hour to see if you want to go another 15 or 30 minutes. You may nap, read, listen to music or even use your phone while in the device. You can also call Dr. Sierra anytime if you are wanting to have some help.
Sessions and Packages
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$250.00 for new patients who currently aren’t clients. No “new patient” start up fee if you are already a client of Dr. Sierra.
The purpose of this first meeting is to establish the indication for HBOT and to have Dr. Sierra be familiar with your health history. HBOT is a great tool that should be used with other fine natural health supporting tools. She is there to help you with a health improvement approach, and can consider your entire health history.
Thereafter, each HBOT treatment price is below. These treatments presume 45 minutes minimum up to 90 minutes.
Purchase a packet of treatments for the best price.
1- $100
4- $300 $75 each
10- $700 $70 each
20- $1200 $60 each
40- $2000. $50 each
It is in my opinion the most interesting high tech tool for health and longevity enhancement and we are pleased to be able to offer this at the Wellness Center.
Please read this and many other interesting articles from the NIH about the therapeutic value of HBOT
Transformative Holistic Services