Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Family Practice & Direct Primary Care located in Lincoln, NE

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy exposes you to 100% oxygen inside of a pressurized chamber. It’s a safe, effective way to promote healing after surgery, infection, or disease. At Aletheia Integrative in Lincoln, Nebraska, Jaime K Dodge, MD and the team of family practice and direct primary care physicians offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy to people of all ages. The practice is the only one in the Lincoln metropolitan area providing access to this cutting-edge treatment. Call Aletheia Integrative today to schedule a hyperbaric oxygen therapy appointment or book your visit online.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Q&A

How does hyperbaric oxygen therapy work?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an outpatient treatment that involves sitting in a pressurized chamber for about 90 minutes. The chamber contains air that’s 100% oxygen. Sitting in the chamber lets your lungs gather and absorb more oxygen so your body can heal quicker and better withstand infections.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is the medical use of oxygen in a pressurized environment, at a level higher than 1 atmosphere absolute (ATA). Increased pressure allows for oxygen to dissolve and saturate the blood plasma (independent of hemoglobin/red blood cells), which yields a broad variety of positive physiological, biochemical and cellular effects. This noninvasive therapy is the most trusted way to increase oxygen levels to all organs of the body.

What types of medical issues can benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

HBOT has been demonstrated in several clinical studies to enhance the body’s innate ability to repair and regenerate. It is used as an adjunct therapy to complement and enhance the healing process in both chronic and acute conditions. The Aletheia Integrative team uses hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat various medical conditions, including:

Burns
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Gangrene
Hearing loss
Diabetic ulcers and other open wounds
Severe bone and skin infections
Skin grafts

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy promotes healing after accidents. So you might benefit if you run, play sports, or work a physically demanding job.

How does hyperbaric oxygen therapy promote healing?

Your body needs rest and oxygen to heal after an accident, illness, injury, or surgery. The regular atmosphere outside of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber contains about 20% oxygen. But the air the patient is breathing inside the chamber contains five times more.

As your body begins the healing process, it needs more oxygen. The increased oxygen inside the pressurized hyperbaric chamber helps your blood carry more oxygen to your damaged tissues. It also increases the transfer of white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting infection.

How do I prepare for hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

Let your provider know if you take any prescription medication or have an implantable medical device, like a pacemaker. Certain devices and medications can interfere with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, so it’s important that the clinic is aware.

What happens during hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

You sit or lie down in an enclosed, pressurized chamber during hyperbaric oxygen therapy. It’s normal for your ears to pop like they would on an airplane during the first 15-20 minutes. You can take a nap, read a book, or listen to music while you’re inside. After one hour, the pressure will gradually decrease in the chamber. Feeling drowsy afterward is normal, so you might want to have a friend or family member drive you home.

Call Aletheia Integrative today to schedule a hyperbaric oxygen therapy appointment or book your visit online.