Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
If you're dealing with venous leg ulcers, diabetic wounds, pilonidal cysts, or other slow-healing lesions, hyperbaric oxygen therapy might offer lasting relief. This advanced treatment involves exposure to pure oxygen, enhancing your body’s natural healing process and accelerating recovery. At Healing Touch WoundCare, our wound care specialists provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy as an outpatient procedure. To schedule an appointment, call or book online today.
What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a non-invasive treatment where you breathe pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber, with oxygen levels three times higher than normal air pressure. This allows your lungs to absorb more oxygen than in a standard setting. The enriched oxygen is then carried by your blood throughout your body, helping to fight harmful bacteria and stimulate the release of growth factors and stem cells that promote healing.
How Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Work?
Oxygen is essential for healing soft tissues, including skin. Injuries can deprive tissues of oxygen, leading to further damage and impaired healing. Red blood cells transport oxygen through the blood, but without sufficient oxygen, cells struggle to fend off bacteria and regenerate, slowing or halting the healing process.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides concentrated oxygen in a pressurized chamber, allowing it to reach areas with reduced or impaired circulation. This increased oxygen level in your blood helps ward off infection and promotes healing, potentially avoiding more invasive treatments like wound debridement or surgery.
What Conditions Can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Treat?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is effective for a wide range of wounds and can be used alone or alongside other treatments. It supports the body’s natural healing process and is beneficial for nearly any type of wound. At Healing Touch WoundCare, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to treat conditions such as:
Diabetic wounds of the lower extremities
Chronic refractory osteomyelitis
Crush injuries and suturing of severed limbs
Preparation/preservation of compromised skin grafts/flaps
Osteoradionecrosis
Soft tissue radionecrosis
Radiation cystitis
Radiation proctitis
Acute peripheral arterial insufficiency
It may also benefit patients with bioengineered skin grafts at risk of tissue death.
What Happens During Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
At Healing Touch WoundCare, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is provided onsite in our state-of-the-art facilities. Before treatment, you’ll need to remove any hair or skin products and hand over your cell phone and other electronics.
During the therapy, you will sit or lie down while a lightweight mask or hood is placed over your head, delivering a steady stream of oxygen directly into your lungs. The increased air pressure might cause your ears to pop, similar to the sensation during a flight or at high altitudes; yawning or swallowing can help relieve this pressure.
The session typically lasts about two hours, although this can vary. Our team at Total Vein Wellness will monitor you and the therapy unit throughout the treatment.
After Your Treatment
Once your treatment is complete, your therapist will gradually depressurize the chamber to help you transition back to normal pressure. You may feel slightly lightheaded or tired, but this typically resolves shortly after the session. Most patients need multiple treatments for optimal results.
During your evaluation, our specialists will recommend the number of treatments you’ll need based on the type and severity of your wound and how well it responds to the therapy.
Am I a Good Candidate for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
To assess if you’re a good candidate for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the team at Healing Touch WoundCare will perform a physical exam, review your medical history, and discuss your lifestyle and symptoms. Based on this evaluation, we’ll recommend treatment options tailored to your needs. If you have an open wound that’s healing slowly, you’re likely a candidate for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Why Choose Healing Touch WoundCare?
The Healing Touch WoundCare team is one of the few practices to offer specialized care for atypical wounds. Our staff can evaluate your wound to determine if it is atypical and provide comprehensive care solutions. We offer a wide range of therapies that can be used independently or in combination.
Our team of highly-trained providers will also teach you how to properly care for your wound at home. This includes demonstrating how to thoroughly clean the wound, protect healthy skin, and change dressings. If you think you may have an atypical wound, call Healing Touch WoundCare or book an appointment online today.
