A stroke occurs when there is blockage in the blood flow to the brain, leaving the area of the brain without oxygen. With no oxygen, the brain cells die, causing a loss of function in the area of the body that is controlled by the damaged area. For this reason, many patients experience paralysis, loss of sensation, and difficulty with speech after a stroke.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, or HBOT, provides additional oxygen to the brain, improving blood flow to a stroke patient’s damaged brain tissues. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) exposes you to pure oxygen, which essentially works as ‘brain food,’ which speeds up the process of neuroplasticity. It provides crucial nutrients to oxygen-starved brain matter, muscle, and bone, and brings down brain swelling.
In many cases, with a series of hyperbaric oxygen treatments, where stroke victims breathe 100% oxygen for 60-90 minutes at a time, their function improves significantly. The results are quite impressive. Oxygen therapy can help treat a wide variety of post-stroke side effects with the potential to help stroke survivors at any stage post-stroke. Some studies report that patients experience benefits like reversal of paralysis, increased sensation, and renewed use of language.