medical opinion by John F. Ruhland, ND

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Pressured Back to Health: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) places patients in an oxygen-rich, pressurized chamber. This dramatically increases the oxygen in the blood, as well as in the cerebro-spinal, and joint fluid. In the US, there are 13 FDA-approved uses for HBOT: air embolism, carbon monoxide poisoning, complications of radiation therapy, crush injuries, decompression sickness, enhancement of healing in selected problem wounds, exceptional blood loss anemia, gas gangrene, intra-cranial abscess, necrotizing (popularly known as "flesh-eating") infections, osteomyelitis, skin grafts and flaps, and thermal burns.

However, hyperbaric oxygen treatments have successfully been used throughout the world for many other conditions, which in the US are referred to as "off-label uses." These uses include: atherosclerosis, autism, brain swelling and injury, brown recluse spider bites, cerebral palsy, cosmetic surgery (to improve healing), edema, hearing loss, inflammation, lung diseases (including inflammation, fibrosis and influenza), Lyme disease, macular degeneration and other vision problems, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Multiple Sclerosis, near drowning, neuropathy, periodontal disease, serious heart disease and pain and dysfunction related to heart attack, sinusitis, sports injury, stasis ulcers (bedsores), stroke, trauma, ulcers, and vascular disorders including congestion.

Russia and China are the world's leaders in manufacturing hyperbaric chambers and utilization of HBOT therapy.

Great Britain, unlike the US, has approved treatment of multiple sclerosis via HBOT therapy. In the US, no hospital will treat a multiple sclerosis patient in their hyperbaric chamber, no matter how ill the person is. While it will not cure MS, it will safely and consistently help manage symptoms. With other diseases, such as non-healing wounds and the so-called "flesh-eating bacterial infections," HBOT can actually cure.

While the therapy is elegantly simple in theory, complexity arises with the chamber equipment, which must be able to withstand high pressures. Also, there must be redundant safety backups.

I recently purchased a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber that was constructed by Khrunichev, the leading Russian manufacturer of hyperbaric oxygen chambers. (www.khrunichev.com) They are also the leading Russian aerospace company, the same company that constructed the International Space Station.

With my chamber, I received a copy of the "Russian Encyclopedia of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy" produced by the Khrunichev company. To my knowledge, this important scientific work has never been translated into English by any university or research organization. Likewise, most Russian and Chinese studies using HBOT therapy are not available in English.

There have been a few, small scientific studies in the US on several of the so-called "off-label uses." With few chambers in operation in the US, and profit as a primary motive, researching even a small number of diseases that could potentially be cured by HBOT therapy is very difficult. Additionally, the FDA does not allow a facility to advertise the treatment of "off-label" uses of HBOT. The result is that the research for their use has been limited and much remains to be done.

To increase the number of illnesses that are treatable by HBOT therapy, a first step would be to get more chambers in clinics and hospitals throughout the world.

I refer all patients with serious and life-threatening conditions to Virginia Mason, which will administer HBOT if their illness is on the FDA-approved list. My primary interest now is offering treatment to all patients, and promoting HBOT in order to get more physicians interested in the therapy.

If you know a doctor who would like more information on HBOT, please refer them to me at 206-723-4891.

Naturopathic physician Dr. John F. Ruhland, ND, has taught at Bastyr University, and runs the Natural Health Medical Clinic in Seattle. See www.drruhland.com .