The Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy - What’s Near Me? - A 2024 Review
Has long covid been plaguing you for the past year? What about an old sports injury?
My name is Dr. Walker Porterfield and my wife, Dr. Allison and I own Clarity Hyperbarics. As chiropractors, we understand that the body has the innate ability to heal itself, at least when given the proper conditions.
At our chiropractic practice, we see many different medical conditions, and get results with most. That being said, we understand that sometimes the body needs a little more help.
Insert Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Des Moines, Grimes & Ankeny, Iowa
After witnessing a close family member struggle with a skin condition, I became aware of the healing powers of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Commonly used in hospitals for burn patients, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help with many conditions. If you or a loved one are suffering from one of the following, or even if something not on this list, explore our website to see if we can help!
Common Conditions We See
Radiation Injury
Decreased Energy
Burns
Anemia
As you can see, the list goes on and on. The benefits from breathing in pure oxygen are truly limitless.
How Do Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers Work?
Simple in function, complex in science and impactful in its results.
It all starts with the dive
The Dive
You may be asking yourself, what on earth is a dive?
Hyperbaric medicine was built off of previous research done by the scuba community in regards to decompression sickness. Every time you enter our soft sided chamber, it is like diving in the ocean, if the ocean were a hollow cylinder filled with 100 percent pure oxygen.
The Decent
One of our guides (otherwise known as team members) will take you back to the hyperbaric chamber room, where you will get prepped for your decent. Rather than suiting up in a wet suit, we recommend wearing comfortable clothing. That's right, your doctor recommended you wear sweatpants for your treatment.
Your guide will help you into the chamber and make sure you are comfortable before pressurization occurs. Once you feel relaxed and ready to dive, our guides will zip you in, and begin your decent.
Have you ever flown on an airplane? A hyperbaric oxygen chamber decent is very similar. Your ears will begin to pop as the pressure begins to build.
This stage can take anywhere between 2 minutes to 8 minutes depending on how comfortable you are. The beauty of Clarity Hyperbarics is that you get to dictate how fast we go. If those ears are giving you some trouble at first, we can go low and slow to make it as comfortable for you as we possibly can.
Duration Of The Dive
Once your decent is completed and you are up to pressure, your time begins. During this time, a lot of things are going to start happening within your body, but you wont feel a thing. The beauty of hyperbaric oxygen treatments in Des Moines, Grimes & Ankney, is that they don't feel like much. While you lay in the chamber, surrounded by 95-100% pure oxygen, your body goes to work. All of this extra oxygen starts to lead to a healing of the body's tissues. It can lead to creation of new blood vessels to areas that need them. This pure oxygen acts as a stem cell within your body and actually can cause creation of new stem cells according to researchers at Pennsylvania University.
What Is A Stem Cell?
A stem cell is a one size fits all cell. Do you need to regrow cartilage in an injured joint? A stem cell can transform itself into a chondroblast and form new cartilage. What about a prior brain injury? Stem cells can help regrow areas of the brain that need help.
How Can I Get Those Effects From Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
To describe how this works, we need to talk about how hyperbaric oxygen therapy mechanisms.
Hyperbaric oxygen chambers operate at different pressures, but ours at Clarity Hyperbarics operates at 1.3 ATM. This increase in pressure will shrink the size of an oxygen molecule, allowing it to dissolve into blood plasma, and go places it normally wouldn't be able to go.
This extra oxygen turns on different genes within the body, and allows creation of new stem cells. These new cells can help repair damaged organs, skin, bones, and ligaments. This is INSTURMENTAL in the healing process.
The Accent
After you have completed your dive, you will have to depressurize before you exit the chamber. The process is very similar to the dive, and one of our guides will be with you throughout the whole process.
What's Next In My Oxygen Therapy Journey?
Consistency is KEY! Our Doctors at Clarity will provide you with a custom care plan that will keep you on track so you can get the best results possible with your oxygen therapy. After your first treatment, you may feel more energy, you may be in full relaxation mode, or you may feel nothing. Everyone is different, and everyone responds differently to treatments.
Your next step is to experience hyperbaric oxygen therapy for yourself. Call our office at (515) 212-5715 or visit our website to book your first dive today!