HBOT definition in wikipeda:
Hyperbaric medicine, also known as hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), is the medical use of oxygen at a level higher than atmospheric pressure. The equipment required consists of a pressure chamber, which may be of rigid or flexible construction, and a means of delivering 100% oxygen. Operation is performed to a predetermined schedule by trained personnel who monitor the patient and may adjust the schedule as required. HBOT found early use in the treatment of decompression sickness. But it has also shown great effectiveness in treating conditions such as gas gangrene and carbon monoxide poisoning. More recent research has examined the possibility that it may also have value for other conditions such as cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis, but no significant evidence has been found.
How does it work? Well, there are a few different types of HBOT chambers, one hard shell, one flexible construction, home chambers, and situations where you sit in a larger chamber with a helmet on (of which you are getting direct oxygen through this "astronaut" helmet). We had tried the helmet route before, but Lila would have nothing to do with it. Tried it once.
Locally we have two options, the hard chamber and the soft chamber. The soft chamber is one that two of my friends from our CP support group have used, and seen great results. Speech improved immediately, cognitive levels rose, and one child gained a better sense of her body in space (something all kids with CP could use). We are now at a point where Lila is really gaining ground in her academics, and a little pure oxygen could really keep this moving along.
It is recommended that we do 10-12 treatments before making a decision to stop. It takes a few treatments to give the brain the chance to begin healing. Thankfully, Lila is on Fall break for the next three weeks which gives us the opportunity to try this alternative treatment and see if it will benefit her. So, we are going to start next week, go three days a week for three weeks, and then assess the benefits for Lila.
I am part of a parent to parent network and this was written by a Mom with great experience in HBOT.
We have taken our son and it has been the best thing we've ever done for him! We did 40 dives in 2010 and 40 dives last summer. Since the second set of 40 we have been going for 6 to 10 dives every 4 to 8 weeks. If seizures reappear we head back sooner and the are quickly eliminated. He is drug free so this is the only treatment we are currently using for seizure control. We found that we were able to stretch him out better at 1.75 ATA than we were at 1.50. Based on that, I'm skeptical of the mild HBOT chambers that treat at a lower ATA and do not ensure pure oxygen.
The first changes we noticed were in his vision within the first 2 dives. His stomach issues have dramatically improved as well and he can now eat gluten products with no issues. The most concrete evidence we have, that cannot be dismissed as a wishful Mom, is that in the 8 months before his first session of 40 we were in the hospital every other month and in those month our insurance company paid out over $44,000 in hospital visits. In the 18 months following not one hospital visit and he still has not be admitted into the hospital since that first session in 2010. He looks so healthy and attentive. All of is therapists and even school staff have noticed the difference.
Even if you have to do fundraisers or grants it is well worth it. After we saw this video of Kurt Allen, we knew we had to try. Keep in mind when looking at Kurt's video that he had a knowledge base to work from since he had no disabilities before a car wreck. Ryan's progress hasn't been that quick because he didn't have the previous knowledge base to work from; however, his progress has been life changing for our family. You can see Ryan's progress at http://www.specialfaithforspecialneeds.com/
I have a few other parent testimonials that will blow your mind!! More to be shared later :-)
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