Mild Hyperbaric Therapy (mHBT)

Mild Hyperbaric Therapy (mHBT) is a therapeutic technique that increases oxygen and air pressure to the patient. This increased oxygen and air pressure put more oxygen molecules into red blood cells as well as the plasma – the liquid that contains red blood cells. mHBT’s ability to increase oxygen helps the patient’s cells improve the healing process – killing bacteria, reducing swelling and inflammation and repairing damaged tissues. Plasma oxygenation carries oxygen molecules even deeper into tissues, areas that often are too small for the oxygen in red blood cells to be effective. mHBT is non-invasive, natural, painless and has minimal risk of side effects.

Family Wellness Center mHBT

Family Wellness Center offers mild hyperbaric therapy. Mild hyperbarics use soft-sided oxygen chambers that increase the oxygen and atmospheric pressure from sea level atmosphere (1.0 ATA) to 1.3 (ATA) atmospheres, approximately the amount of pressure a person receives in 11 feet of water. At 1.3 atmospheres, the soft chamber increases oxygen via a relatively small amount of pressure (in comparison to hard chambers) yet has efficacy for a variety of conditions.

The patient enters the chamber and the attendant gradually raises the pressure until it is fully pressurized (5 to 10 minutes, depending on the patient’s comfort level). Each chamber treatment is one hour once full pressure is achieved, and patients can sleep, read or use electronic portable devices. Patients are continually monitored and can call an attendant or de-pressurize the chamber from within. The chamber is large enough to let a parent to “dive” with their child.

The Family Wellness Center was recently featured in “The Pressure Point”. Click Here to read the article.

Using the mHBT Chamber

All mHBT patients have an initial consultation with a Family Wellness doctor to make sure the treatment is appropriate and the patient does not have any condition that will have an adverse reaction. These conditions include emphysema, previous spontaneous pneumonia, acute sinusitis. fevers, breathing problems or low seizure thresholds. mHBT is appropriate for a variety of conditions and when standard medications are not working. Often mHBT is used in addition to conventional medical treatments.

Before entering the chamber, patients change into clean, white cotton scrubs. Cleaned, white cotton linen covers the comfortable chamber mat and pillows. The patient lies in the chamber and it is slowly pressurized. Patients will feel some pressure on their ears, similar to airplane travel. Chewing gum, swallowing while holding the nose shut, and other techniques equalize the pressure. Once equalized, there is no further discomfort for the duration of the “dive”. During decompression, patients will feel their ears “pop” as the additional oxygenated air pressure is reduced. The attendant paces the speed of compression and decompression to the preference and comfort level of the patient.

Patients should avoid alcohol and carbonated drinks 4 hours before their treatment because it interferes with oxygen absorption. Smoking also lowers the impact of mHBT.

HBOT Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

This type of Hyperbaric Medicine can only performed in hospitals or approved High Pressure Hyperbaric clinics. Some insurances may allow for reimbursement from insurances if the strict criteria is achieved in a hospital.  100% Oxygen is used for the On label indications and those Chambers are usually treating at pressures greater than 1.4 atmospheres. HBOT has been an acceptable therapy used by hospitals to treat the variety of conditions. Family Wellness Center, by definition, does NOT perform Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. In certain cases, insurances pay for these approved conditions, if performed in a hospital, or approved high pressure clinic:

  1. Diabetic foot wounds
  2. Air and gas embolism
  3. Carbon monoxide poisoning
  4. Acute traumatic ischemia (a type of stroke)
  5. Extreme blood loss
  6. Cyanide poisoning
  7. Decompression sickness
  8. Non-healing wounds
  9. Gas gangrene
  10. Necrotizing (cell death) infections
  11. Radiation effects
  12. Skin flaps
  13. Burns

Beneficial (off-label) mHBT Conditions

Family Wellness offers mHBT for a variety of non-traditional conditions. For example, mHBT shows great promise for children with autistic spectrum disorders, neurological disorders, brain injuries as well as to facilitate healing in sports injuries or to counteract signs of aging. A growing amount of scientific evidence, testimonials and studies (identified in the Links section of the Family Wellness website) suggest that mHBT is appropriate to improve or facilitate the treatment of the following conditions:

  1. Stroke
  2. Multiple Sclerosis
  3. Autism
  4. Lyme’s Disease and other infections
  5. Chronic fatigue syndrome
  6. ADD/ADHD
  7. Migraine headaches
  8. Head injuries and concussion
  9. Sports injuries
  10. Spinal cord injuries
  11. Parkinson’s Disease
  12. Raynaud’s phenomenon
  13. Vascular disease
  14. Fibromyalgia
  15. Crohn’s Disease
  16. Pre-/Post-surgery
  17. General wellness and prevention

mHBT Side Effects

mHBT has minimal side effects. While most patients can easily get accustomed to pressurization/depressurization, there is a risk of ear and sinus trauma. Ear pain is usually temporary and ceases after the dive is complete. Family Wellness attendants help patients avoid ear/sinus pain by carefully regulating the speed of compression/decompression to the needs of each patient. In rare cases, patients that continue to have ear pain can use special ear plugs or ear tubes in order to continue treatment.

Other side effects include:

  1. Claustrophobia
  2. Temporary changes in near-sighted eyesight. This usually occurs with large numbers of treatments and returns to normal after treatments have ended.
  3. Seizures, in patients with a history of seizures
  4. Accelerated cataract development (very rarely)

Visit the Family Wellness mHBT Treatment Room

The Family Wellness Center combines conventional medicine with appropriate alternative therapies to get the best results with the safest, least-invasive methods. Family Wellness offers traditional medicine, spinal manipulation and other musculoskeletal treatments, similar to chiropractic care. Family Wellness treats conditions with oral vitamin and herbal supplementation, and mHBT. Interested parties are welcome to schedule a consultation, see the mHBT chambers and discuss a treatment approach. The physician at the Family Wellness Center has completed advanced training and is certified by the International Hyperbaric Association.

Disclaimer

The Family Wellness Center is providing mHBT information and links to reputable clinics, associations and reference resources after an extensive review of mHBT publications and studies. This information is intended to be educational in nature and is not a substitute for competent, medical advice. mHBT therapy should be conducted in conjunction with a qualified physician and facility. The Family Wellness Center specifically disclaims any liability arising directly or indirectly from information contained on these web pages and web links. In evaluating mHBT, patients should be aware of and consider the conflicting views of mHBT therapy within the medical profession.