"At around 9 years old I had a head injury with concussion from an accident that left me with trauma symptoms."
This person came in to us at City Hyperbaric in Wellington, to see if Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy may be able to help her recover her health after many years of difficulty. This is her story which she kindly wrote down to help others learn more about what it can do.
"In the last decade I have lived with considerable stress and anxiety ...Now in my mid 50’s I have been noticing the impact of this on my physiology...symptoms just as adrenal fatigue, poor digestion, tendency to constipate, shallow breathing and decline in short term memory.
I am a single parent and my budget is extreme ..however with the sense that my health was deteriorating I decided to invest in a series of sessions of mild hyperbaric oxygen .
The chamber room at City Hyperbaric I had daily sessions for 12 days (minus Sundays)
The first was a little uncomfortable for my ears, so I was guided through this and time was taken to gently equalise to the pressure... this discomfort rapidly decreased so by the 3rd session there was no sensation of pain during the equalising process.
After the first session I felt somewhat tired however slept deeper than usual that night.
I used my time in the hyperbaric chamber to rest in a meditative way trusting the oxygen would stimulate healing in my system. It had the quality of a sacred space!
By the second session my constipation was alleviated and during the fortnight I had text book perfect bowel movements! It is now 8 weeks later and I have continued to have a daily or twice daily movement ...this is remarkable given over 4 decades of sluggish bowel.
The first was a little uncomfortable for my ears, so I was guided through this and time was taken to gently equalise to the pressure... this discomfort rapidly decreased so by the 3rd session there was no sensation of pain during the equalising process.
After the first session I felt somewhat tired however slept deeper than usual that night.
I used my time in the hyperbaric chamber to rest in a meditative way trusting the oxygen would stimulate healing in my system. It had the quality of a sacred space!
By the second session my constipation was alleviated and during the fortnight I had text book perfect bowel movements! It is now 8 weeks later and I have continued to have a daily or twice daily movement ...this is remarkable given over 4 decades of sluggish bowel.
During the period of receiving the oxygen I noticed my breathing dramatically improve..with the breath going right down into the lower and back area of my lungs..this was wonderful to experience and has remained with me. I don’t believe I will ever lose this awareness now.
There was an internal sensation hard to describe...the image I had was of my cells plumping up especially in my face and in the cheeks. Many friends commented how well I looked ...and this sense of inner wellness has remained despite there being many challenges these last 2 months since my sessions.
There was an internal sensation hard to describe...the image I had was of my cells plumping up especially in my face and in the cheeks. Many friends commented how well I looked ...and this sense of inner wellness has remained despite there being many challenges these last 2 months since my sessions.
Red blood cells and blood plasma highly saturated with oxygen
Before the treatment I had some fear in my life around memory loss... and now I have almost forgotten I had such a fear!! I still am experiencing anxiety ...however have started a programme to retrain the Amygdala’s response to stress. I believe the hyperbaric sessions enabled me to have the energy to start this programme that will turn that deep seated pattern and stress loop around.
After my final hyperbaric session I received a Cranial Osteopathy session and we focused on the head injury. I received what had been a missing experience for me as a child at the time of the concussion ; that of receiving deep compassion and the injury acknowledged . I believe my system needed that quality and skill of holding to heal such a childhood trauma. I also believe that shift occurred in my structure so effortlessly because of the oxygen therapy.
Gentle treatment supporting the membranes of the brain and head to help ease trauma
Lastly having the series of sessions has become a resource in my memory bank... when I imagine the experience of receiving the oxygen, it automatically brings me back to joy and wellbeing.
It did what I hoped, giving me a paradigm shift and huge lift in my healing journey. It also cleared a trauma I had carried for over 45 years.
Thank you City Osteopaths and City Hyperbaric for providing this wonderful therapy. I hope many people transform their health through access to the hyperbaric chamber."
Posted with permission from and thanks to Frances A. Wellington September 2016
Some research relevant to long standing concussion:
HBOT and Head Injury:
“Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for Reduction of Secondary Brain Damage in Head Injury”
—Journal of Neurotrauma, 21:44-48. 2004
Conclusion: Translational research of HBOT in a variety of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) models has shown neuroprotective effects
in the absence of increased oxygen toxicity. Recent clinical trials favour HBOT as promising safe therapeutic strategy for severe TBI patient.
“Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can improve Post Concussion Syndrome years after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury – Randomised Prospective Trial” www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24260334
—PLoS One November 2013 10.137/journal.pone 0079995
Conclusion: Convincing results based on a crossover study, demonstrating that HBOT can induce neuroplasticity and significant brain function improvement in mild TBI patients with prolonged Post-Concussion-Syndrome at late chronic stage, years after injury.
The findings here bear the promises that HBOT can be effective in treating other brain impairments like PTSD or repairing radiation damage. It is reasonable to expect that HBOT can help slow down or even reverse metabolic disorders associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
For more information please see www.cityhyperbaric.co.nz
Give us a call on 04 4991439 and speak with our front desk staff to make an appointment for your Hyperbaric Medical and first Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy session
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