Whether you are a marathon runner, softball player, football player or avid golfer, you are always at risk of injury. You want to be on top of the game and are constantly pushing harder and faster, but what happens when you get injured? How long are you stuck out of the game? Concussions, sprains, breaks and tears can cost you months from do
ing what you love, sometimes having to give it up altogether. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a great tool for a boost in athletic performance and recovery after injury as a primary or adjunct treatment.
How it helps
By going under pressure, oxygen is forced to dissolve into the plasma and get to the injured areas, saturating the hypoxic tissue, muscle, and bone. This forces the inflammation to go down and the growth of new blood vessels thereby accelerating healing, which reduces bruising, swelling and pain. Increased oxygen also stimulates stem cells and reduces lactic acid.
HBOT for Sports-Related Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Concussion Syndrome in Children
Of the nearly 3 million TBIs reported every year, nearly 10% happen while playing sports. According to the CDC, “Children have the highest rate of emergency department visits for traumatic brain (TBI) injury of all age groups. TBI affects children differently than adults. An injury of any severity to the developing brain can disrupt a child’s development and may result in restrictions in school and participation in activities (e.g., sports). As a result of TBI, children can experience changes in their health, thinking, and behavior that affect learning, self-regulation, and social participation, all of which are important in becoming a productive adult.”
Matt’s Story – Post Concussion Syndrome
Matt suffered multiple concussions playing high school soccer, his most recent resulting in an impact seizure on the field during Sand Soccer at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. This once outgoing and social teenager struggled with post concussion syndrome and spent years depressed, unable to concentrate, memory loss, reduced ability to form thoughts into words and even dropped out of his senior year to be homeschooled. When told by doctors that this was Matt’s new normal, his mother refused to settle. Researching days on end, Matt’s mother discovered hyperbaric oxygen therapy. After 40 dives, the fog that had clouded Matt’s brain for so long had disappeared. He noticed improvements about halfway through treatment and was even able to wean himself off Adderall.
“I was able to speak more clearly and my thoughts were processing the way I wanted them to,” Matt said. He went on to earn A’s and B’s in his Environmental Science studies at Virginia Tech.
Click here to see a local news interview with Matt and his mother after completing hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
At Tier I Therapy Centers, we are experienced in treating patients with sports injuries, mTBI and post concussion syndrome, including professional and olympic athletes, combat veterans and first responders. Our patients search for healthy, effective interventions to find relief from myriad symptoms that brain injury creates. Those symptoms include anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, chronic headaches, cognitive decline, memory loss, chronic pain and many other issues that create challenges in everyday life.
In the past, it was believed that once brain cells were injured they could not be revitalized. More recently, studies have shown injured cells can rejuvenate months or years after the original injury with the increased pressure to force 100% oxygen to the injured tissue. Evidence such as SPECT imaging, computer-based cognitive assessments, self-assessments and QEEG conducted pre and post therapy prove the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and neurotherapy as effective and healthy interventions for many types of brain injuries.
What are you waiting for? Let us help you heal faster and get you back in the game now. To learn more about hyperbaric oxygen treatment for athletic recovery, call 757-452-3934.
*Disclaimer: Information provided here is not to be considered medical advice. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for non-approved, off-label indications is considered to be investigational.
