Oxygen/HBOT’s Role in Bone Healing
Bone disease and injury are common. Fractures top the list of common bone injuries: approximately 6.3 million fractures occur per year in the U.S. (1). Osteoporosis—a disease that causes weakened, fracture-prone bones—affects 50% of women over the age of 50, and 25% of men over 50 (2). Other bone diseases include Paget’s Disease, osteomyelitis (bone infection), and arthritis.
Bone injury and disease can be painful, debilitating, and take a long time to heal. Treatment includes rest, physical therapy, casting/splinting, medication, and time. This can impact your work life, social life, and ability to complete everyday tasks. Fortunately, there is a medically proven treatment that can significantly reduce bone healing time, encourage cell and bone regeneration, and reduce your pain or stiffness. It’s called hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT for short.
HBOT involves breathing 100% infused oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. This enables oxygen to reach every part of the body, where it both repairs damaged cells and encourages new cellular growth (3). At the same time, HBOT promotes circulation and stem cell growth, which reduces inflammation and supports the immune system (3). For decades, HBOT has proven effective for treating a multitude of medical conditions, including diabetic wound healing, post-operative recovery, arthritis, and radiation skin damage (4).
We’ve known for some time that HBOT can be beneficial for many conditions, beyond the well-known ones like decompression sickness and gangrene. HBOT is so effective at healing injuries and infection, that we’ve successfully prevented multiple amputations by healing diabetic ulcers. A 2015 study on mice found that HBOT has the potential to significantly enhance bone and tissue regeneration in mammals, and may reduce pain in osteoporosis and fracture patients (5).
Osteomyelitis is an infection in the bone, which can become chronic and difficult to treat. Out of 34 chronic osteomyelitis patients treated with HBOT in this study, 81% were drainage-free after two years, and 80% remained drainage-free after five years (6). A 2020 case study showed significant improvement in a 63-year-old female osteoporosis patient’s bone density and bone turnover markers after four weeks of daily HBOT sessions. (7). More research is being done all the time, and we are following it closely. To read more scientific research on HBOT’s benefits for osteoporosis and bone regeneration, check out this research from 2021, 2020, and 2017.
At Holistic Hyperbarics, we have successfully treated many patients with bone injuries and bone diseases. Our HBOT protocol has been proven to reduce pain, increase mobility, and improve our patients’ quality of life. We have seen how powerful HBOT is at speeding the healing of fractures, easing the pain of arthritis, and reducing the edema often associated with osteoporosis. We work with everyone, and would love to tailor an HBOT regimen to your needs.
If you are seeking treatment for a fracture, osteoporosis, Paget’s Disease, or any type of bone injury or illness, we would love to support you. Our state-of-the art spa features knowledgeable staff, a relaxing environment, and comfortable hyperbaric chambers. We’d love to answer your questions about bone healing and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Give us a call today.
SOURCES:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4443-osteoporosis
Staff, Mayo Clinic. “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 12 Jan. 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy/about/pac-20394380.
Staff, IHAUSA. “Anti Aging.” International Hyperbarics Association, International Hyperbarics Association, 2020, www.ihausa.org/anti-aging.html.