City Osteopaths and City Hyperbaric are well placed to help people of all ages, in conjunction with their concussion healthcare team. Our Reg Osteopaths are able to gently treat any neck, shoulder and back strains that may have occurred and the hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduces brain oedema or swelling and provides the extra oxygen required by injured brain tissue to help the mitochondria to make the energy required to heal damaged or dormant tissue and help restore function.

Ideally, as in this case, we are able to treat the neck injury and concussion as soon as possible after medical assessment after the accident. We like to work in with the concussion care team to help your child make a full recovery. If the concussion occurred many years before it is probably going to take longer to improve or resolve. 

Below is some research for the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen in concussion for children:

“Role of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Severe Head Injury in Children” 
—Journal of Pediatric Neuroscience. 2012 Jan-April 7(1) 4-8 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3401652/
Conclusion: In children with traumatic brain injury, the addition of HBOT significantly improved outcome and quality of life and reduced risk of complications. Patients receiving HBOT were significantly better than the control group with decreased hospital stay, better Glasgow Coma Scale and drastic reduction in disability. 

“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. 

Please check out our website links below for more information or give us a call on 04 4991439
www.cityosteopaths.co.nz
www.cityhyperbaric.co.nz

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. ​

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. 

​

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

​

​'Concussion can be a very serious and debilitating injury, yet a high proportion of people who receive a concussion do not get any treatment for it. Osteopathy can be highly effective in aiding recovery from concussion, and we are pushing for it to be incorporated into the standard ACC treatment plan for these injuries. Current standard treatment on ACC often consists solely of continued assessment to gauge progress.

​As an example, I recently had a 13yr old male patient present to me following a double concussion playing rugby. The second concussion had been one month prior to me seeing him, and in that period he had been suffering from constant headaches, dizziness and nausea, and vomiting if he over exerted.
He was unable to do more than three periods in his school day before his symptoms got to the point he could not continue.
He had been assessed at a concussion clinic who were monitoring his progress, but no treatment had been done other than prescribing painkillers to help with the headaches.

In any head injury, but concussion particularly, there is a large amount of trauma delivered to the tissues of the head and neck. This leads to a tightening of these tissues, which in turn causes compression of the head and spine, and restriction of fluid flow through these structures. This can cause a variety of symptoms, including headaches, nausea, dizziness and pain.

Osteopathy, and in particular Cranial Osteopathy, works in a gentle and non-invasive manner to mobilise the connective tissues and muscles around the head and neck in order to reduce this compression and restore normal fluid flow and drainage.
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​​More information on our osteopaths click here

Climbing trees is a fantastic part of life for kids in New Zealand. It teaches them balance, coordination and bravery. However sometimes they can and do fall.

​What do you do if your child falls out of a tree and suffers from a concussion or Mild Traumatic Brain Injury?

You need to go straight to accident and emergency for assessment or to your GP if the initial symptoms are less severe. 

Recently at City Hyperbaric we saw a ten year old boy who loves climbing trees. He swung in a tree and hit his head, causing a loss of consciousness of around ten minutes and resulting in a fortnight off school.

​Four weeks later he was still suffering from the concussion so came up from the South Island to our practice. On doing our head injury questionnaire, it showed his behaviour was very difficult and he was suffering constant headaches of 8 or 9/10 severity. He had reduced attention span, impaired comprehension, dizziness and angry outbursts all 7-9/10 in severity.

All our Hyperbaric technicians are trained, experienced and skilled. Before coming in for a session you will be sent a HBOT medical questionnaire and when you arrive the process will be fully explained. The most important ability you need for going in the chamber is to be able to equalise your ears as if you were flying or diving. At City Osteopaths and City Hyperbaric we like to work in with your concussion care team to help you make the optimal recovery.

Some research on HBOT and for Head injury:
“Role of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Severe Head Injury in Children” 
—Journal of Pediatric Neuroscience. 2012 Jan-April 7(1) 4-8 
Conclusion: In children with traumatic brain injury, the addition of HBOT significantly improved outcome and quality of life and reduced risk of complications. Patients receiving HBOT were significantly better than the control group with decreased hospital stay, better Glasgow Coma Scale and drastic reduction in disability. 

“Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can improve Post Concussion Syndrome years after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury – Randomised Prospective Trial” 
—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.
​
Please see our information page here http://www.cityosteopaths.co.nz/hyperbaric.html for more detailed information including the costs and more research. We do provide a discounted Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy fee for children with a head injury on a case by case basis.

Melanie Young
B.A., B.App.Sc.,(Clin.Sc.),B.Osteo.Sc.
Reg Osteopath
Director City Osteopaths
Wellington
​www.cityhyperbaric.co.nz
​www.cityosteopaths.co.nz