Before You Start
Before having your first hyperbaric oxygen therapy session, you should have a talk with both one of our recovery specialists and your primary physician. No skipping either discussion!
The recovery specialist will go over with you why you want this therapy. After all, perhaps there’s something else that would be better suited to helping you. Also, they’ll need to get to know you to determine where to start you off at in terms of how long your sessions will be and other details.
As for your doctor, they may need to verify your current medical state to confirm you don’t have any contraindications or anything else that could make it unsafe for you to be in a hyperbaric chamber.
Preparing For Your Session
Long before your first session in the hyperbaric chamber, our recovery specialist here will tell you about the science of it, answer questions, tell you how to prepare, etc.
Shortly before your session, you’ll get a final rundown one last time as you’re led through the checklist to make sure you are indeed ready. Part of this checklist includes verifying you’ve removed all your jewelry and electronic devices and aren’t wearing any strong-smelling lotion or perfume. After all, you’ll be in a small and enclosed space, so any scent is magnified and would be unbearably stifling to be stuck in there with.
Inside The Hyperbaric Chamber
While the pressure is building in the chamber, the recovery specialist will be nearby. You’ll feel the pressure increasing, and your ears may even pop, quite similar to when you take off in an airplane.
You should focus on breathing evenly, and taking a slight nap is not a problem. Other than feeling the greater pressure, you shouldn’t notice a thing.
After Your Therapy Session
Depending on what you’re getting hyperbaric oxygen therapy for, there are any number of effects you may notice.
For example, directly after getting out of the chamber, you’ll likely feel slightly more energetic and better able to focus thanks to the extra oxygen to your brain.
Long term, the cumulative effects of it will help wounds heal somewhat faster, may show improvement for neurological disorders, and can also cause new blood vessel formation. What it does over an even longer timeframe is still being studied, but it is promising for helping with many aspects of your health.
