Treating Diabetes With HBOT

Diabetes affects more than 12 million people and is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. With diabetes primarily affecting the small blood vessels, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been demonstrated to stimulate angiogenesis to help ameliorate compromised blood flow and prevent organ failure. Research has shown that HBOT can lower blood sugar levels by increasing cellular sensitivity to insulin and skeletal muscle reception of glucose. Furthermore, recent reports have provided evidence towards linking HBOT to regenerating pancreatic islets of Langerhans, thus potentially producing more insulin. HBOT is often beneficial in treating osteomyelitis and cellulitis, in addition to preventing systemic toxicity and permanent disability. With chronic diabetes, impaired circulation reduces wound healing capability and promotes ulcerations. HBOT increases the amount of oxygen available to ulcerated areas, leading to increased fibroblast activation.

Studies have demonstrated the benefits of HBOT for diabetes with the following:

• Improve Blood Chemistry Profile: fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin HbA1C, lipid profiles
• Advance Glycemic Control: increases pancreatic islets of Langerhans, improves insulin sensitivity, increases skeletal muscle reception of glucose
• Decrease Cardiovascular Risk: promotes long-term blood pressure control, attenuates metabolic syndrome, reduces risk of sudden heart attack due to ventricular arrhythmias
• Stimulate Angiogenesis & Reduce Inflammation: improves brain function & reduces risk of stroke, enhances heart function & reduces risk of heart attack, reduces risk of diabetic retinopathy, decreases risk of diabetic neuropathy, minimizes risk of diabetic nephropathy, combats cellulitis
• Enhance Internal/External Healing: proliferates epithelialization, promotes closure of non-healing wounds, decreases risk of infection, ameliorates ulcerations, reduces risk of amputation, remediates osteomyelitis

Study: Amputation Rate Decreased with HBOT

• A study published in 2008 evaluated the efficacy of HBOT with respect to decreasing amputation rates for patients with diabetic foot ulcer. A total of 184 consecutive patients received an average of 39 HBOT sessions (60 to 120 minutes a day, six times a week with patients’ progress evaluated at 3, 6 & 12 months) as an adjunct to standard treatment modalities for diabetic foot ulcer. Following treatment, 115 (62 percent) were completely healed, 31 (17 percent) showed no improvement and 38 (21 percent) underwent amputation. HBOT’s success was illustrated by the attenuation to hypoxic tissue by the mechanisms of angiogenesis, fibroblast replication, collagen synthesis, revascularization, epithelialization and increased leukocyte bactericidal activity. This study confirmed that HBOT can help to reduce major amputation rates in diabetic foot ulcers by repairing tissue.
• This finding is especially noteworthy considering other conventional treatments had failed.

HBOT SHOWS PROMISE

Here’s a little HBOT history for you….

OXYGEN THERAPY SHOWS PROMISE AGAINST A VARIETY OF AILMENTS

 

By Dr. Patrick Massey for the Daily Herald

 

A number of years ago, it was believed that doing surgery in large pressure chambers (hyperbaric chambers) would improve outcomes. To that end, some medical centers began to do surgery in hyperbaric chambers.

Hyperbaric chambers were very expensive and the overall results were not positive enough to justify the expense of doing surgery in them. As a result, over the next 30 years, hyperbaric chambers were rarely used.

However, advances in technology have lowered the cost of hyperbaric chambers to the point where physicians and medical centers are using them again.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is done inside a hyperbaric chamber. The patient is exposed to 100 percent oxygen at pressures slightly higher than normal in order to supersaturate the tissues with oxygen. First developed in the early 1900s by Orville Cunningham, hyperbaric therapy was not really used until the 1940s to treat deep-sea divers with decompression sickness. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was used during heart and lung surgery. Later, it was found to be beneficial to treat carbon monoxide poisoning and other medical conditions.

Although hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been the subject of controversy because of the lack of well controlled medical studies, there are a number of medical conditions for which there is substantial evidence that it is effective. These include decompression sickness (scuba diving), moderate to severe carbon monoxide poisoning, prevention and treatment of osteoradionecrosis (radiation therapy-induced bone damage), radiation therapy-induced soft-tissue damage, skin graft healing, enhanced healing after plastic surgery and in the treatment of chronic skin ulcers.

There are a number of other medical conditions for which hyperbaric oxygen might be beneficial but good clinical trials are lacking. Among these are autism, stroke, dementia, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, diabetic skin ulcers and even chronic fatigue syndrome. How hyperbaric oxygen helps decompression sickness and carbon monoxide poisoning is clearly defined. However, for most chronic medical conditions, how it works is less clear. It is believed higher oxygenation of the blood and tissues stimulates the growth of new blood vessels and nerves. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy might also reduce swelling and help acute brain and spinal cord injuries. There is some evidence that it might also help lymphedema, swelling and impairment from damage to the lymph system.

The side effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy are often mild and reversible. The most common side effects are claustrophobia and a readily reversible change in vision clarity. The only absolute reason to avoid hyperbaric therapy is a collapsed lung.

A Tip For Parents of Athletes

There has been much controversy lately about sports and injuries, particularly concussion, which can actually have long term affects that most parents aren’t aware of. But there is something that you – as parents of athletes – can do.

As concussions in sports become an increasingly prevalent issue, it is important for parents to know how they can help their child recover from concussions, regardless of its severity. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is one of the lowest-risk treatments available, and a good way to be proactive about helping a child suffering from post-concussion syndrome return to the classroom and playing field.

In a study by Dr. Paul Harch, one of the leading doctors in hyperbaric medicine, fifteen military personnel (all previously diagnosed with traumatic brain injury) were treated with forty hyperbaric oxygen treatments. Each patient made significant improvements in injury symptoms, physical exam results, cognitive measurements, and most importantly, quality of life ratings.

No physical injury can heal without oxygen, and the same applies for the brain. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy allows a patient to breathe 100% oxygen (as opposed to air from the atmosphere, which is 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen) in a pressurized chamber, which creates a higher concentration of oxygen in the bloodstream, which can improve circulation to impaired brain areas.

An article from the Division of Neurosurgery at Linda Loma University Medical Center acknowledges that many brain injuries result in reduced blood supply to affected tissues, which can impair brain function. Increasing the concentration of oxygen in the bloodstream can help repair damaged tissue, and reduce swelling and inflammation.

Typically, the standard approach for treating sports concussions involves a great deal of waiting. Concussed individuals are told to get cognitive rest and not over-stimulate the brain by using the phone and computer. After a concussion, athletes frequently complain of headaches and insomnia, and often privately struggle with anxiety, depression, and poor academic performance due to impaired brain function. Standard treatments may also involve medication, which can produce undesirable side effects.

Thankfully, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is highly effective and has minimal side effects. By comparing the risks of treating versus not treating your child for a concussion, it becomes clear that being proactive is essential. While concussion symptoms may improve through simply resting, they could also worsen. As you think about your athlete’s post-concussion treatment, ask yourself: are you and your child willing to deal with persistent effects of head injury?

While the short term symptoms of concussions such as dizziness and headaches may not seem serious, long term problems such as dementia-like symptoms and advanced aging of brain tissue are not to be taken lightly. Brain injuries that go untreated have also been linked to learning disabilities, social and relationship issues, low self-esteem, depression, and alcoholism. What we see as headaches now could present themselves as problems that are serious and difficult to treat in the future.

Although no healthcare facility can promise a cure for concussion symptoms, hyperbarics can provide help to many people, from athletes with minor head injuries to soldiers involved in IED explosions. Our hope is that in the future, hyperbaric oxygen therapy will come to be seen as a low-risk, effective procedure that can help improve many symptoms of head trauma.

Stop in and see us at Empower Wellness Center to find out how we can help your athlete.

Just how…exactly…does HBOT work?

I get this question often. Sometimes it’s hard to explain, but here is an answer that I believe that everyone can understand.

The moderately increased pressure will dramatically increase the amount of oxygen that will be safely delivered to all tissues in the body, even to places that have naturally restricted blood flow (i.e. the body’s white tissues), lower than normal flow or even blockages.

The air that we breathe usually provides enough oxygen for both normal body metabolism and the repair of tissue damage after injury or illness. However, tissue damage or disease also involves the blood vessels within the tissue and this may reduce blood flow. So, just when more oxygen is needed, the supply is reduced and recovery may be limited or even prevented.

By increasing the concentration of oxygen in the blood, more of it can be delivered to damaged tissue to establish normal oxygen values and so allow recovery to take place. Oxygen diffuses under pressure because of the laws of physics in plasma, which supplies all body tissues with oxygen.

In a myriad of documented cases HBOT has produced remarkable and miraculous benefits for a wide variety of serious medical conditions. HBOT has been clinically proven to produce a more efficient immune system, a more rapid regeneration of cells, and is proven to work as a potent anti-aging therapy. Simply stated, significantly increasing the delivery of oxygen to all tissues throughout one’s body results in improved health and vitality. Breathing pressurized oxygen allows every fluid in your body to better absorb the life giving gas.

Once these fluids are “supercharged” with oxygen, there is an increased oxygen supply to all of your body systems and organs. You’ll witness peak wellness, peak energy and peak mental acuity. Healing from virtually every illness and even post-surgery will occur faster and more extensively. You will discover amazing, restful rejuvenating sleep. With continued treatments over a period of time you’ll experience the anti-aging benefits provided by HBOT.

So You’re interested in HyperBarics…Now What

Hyperbaric oxygen is used to treat all conditions which benefit from increased tissue oxygen availability, as well as infections where it can be used for its antibiotic properties, either as the primary therapy, or in conjunction with other drugs. It can also be used cosmetically for anti-aging, acne, and other conditions. HBOT can be used to treat whatever ails you.

Insurance and Medicare consider  the following conditions for HBOT to be covered for payment:

Air or Gas Embolism
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Compartment Syndrome/Crush Injury/Other Traumatic Ischemias
Decompression Sickness (Bends)
Diabetic and Selected Wounds
Exceptional Blood Loss (Anemia)
Gas Gangrene
Intracranial Abscess
Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection
Osteoradionecrosis and Radiation Tissue Damage
Osteomyelitis (Refractory)
Skin Grafts and (Compromised) Flaps
Thermal Burns

The following conditions are off-label which may or may not be covered by insurance or Medicare:

Autism
Cerebral Palsy
Lyme Disease
Migraine
Multiple Sclerosis
Near Drowning
Recovery from Plastic Surgery
Sports Injuries
Stroke
Traumatic Brain Injury

At Empower Wellness Center, we will go above and beyond to be certain that you get the treatment you need.  YOU are why we have done this.  This service is for you and your loved ones.  If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact us.

For Me and Mine

One day, an old mule accidentally he fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer evaluated the situation and thought to himself, that neither the well nor the old mule was worth the efforts to save them. Therefore he decided to haul in dirt to bury the old mule in the well. 

So the farmer called his neighbors and together they started shoveling dirt into the well. The old mule was terrified and hysterical in the beginning. But soon one hopeful idea came to his mind – every time a shovel of dirt lands on my back, I will shake it off and step up! 

He repeated these words to himself again and again: “Shake it off and step up”. This way he could use the struggle and the panic to encourage himself.

After some time, the mule had stepped over the well‘s wall. Although terribly tired, he was the winner, he had saved his own life. He decided to face his adversity positively and not to give up, and in the end, he was the winner.

 What seemed like would bury him, actually saved him. He had owned his confidence and unresting efforts. 

Like the mule we will face challenges. If we hold on to divine hope long enough, the trials of fire brings forth a rebirth just as the the phoenix that rises up from the ashes. 

For the real development of the soul, it is essential to be truthful to our situation and our true feelings. We must hold on to the higher hope in the divine. Divine hope starts from being honest with ourselves.

Sometimes, unlike the mule, we may hem and haw about our problems unconsciously blaming others or our circumstances for the dirt being thrown unto us.  We might even fall into despair when we keep a stiff upper lip – the temptation of trying to impress others and inflate our importance in order to appear like a superhero without knowing when to call for help.  

Instead of being authentic, we brag about our ability to handle our problems by reframing the truth about the situation. We lose ourselves in adapting too much to the expectations of others and lose touch with our soul and what is truly important to us. When we are truly honest with ourselves…well, that is when we reclaim our inner strength and power.

A new timeline is formed and we gain a new direction to endless possibilities as we see light ahead. That is the moment of divine hope taking place where flow and hope is restored in us. When we are in our flow, we recognize the hope of our problems as the very stepping stones to the next level of achievement.

 

“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are  there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.” ― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

 

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” – The Book of Revelations

 

 

 

 

WHAT IS HBOT??

Here lies the healing magic of Hyperbaric Oxygenation.

Inside the pressurized chamber, the story unfolds. The injury site now begins to receive a healing dose of oxygen through the surrounding body fluids and plasma—even if the blood supply to the tissues is compromised.

Furthermore, to boost the oxygen concentration in oxygen chambers, supplemental oxygen may be added into hyperbaric chambers during treatment. Doctors and therapists commonly use enriched oxygen or an oxygen concentrator, also called an oxygen generator to help supplement the oxygen. As explained before, this oxygen will become infused into the numerous types of liquids in the body—blood, plasma, cerebral fluids.

And like the soda-pop in our analogy, the oxygen uptake will remain in the body for a time after treatment.The Gas Laws of Physics state that more gas is dissolved in a liquid by increasing the pressure of the gas.

Note: Breathing pure oxygen at 2 Atmospheres, gives 10 times the regular amount of oxygen (2 x 100% vs. 21%). In one hour, humans can inhale 2.4 pounds of oxygen! (Normal atmospheric pressure 1 ATA allows 6 pounds/day). Red blood cells instantly fill with oxygen and the extra oxygen dissolves directly into the blood fluid. In a few minutes, this extra oxygen builds up tissue oxygen levels far above normal.

The Principle of HBO is simple. Increase the atmospheric pressure and get a directly proportional increase in available oxygen. In other words, a twofold increase in pressure equals twice the available oxygen molecules to breathe.

How long the treatments last depends on the doctor’s particular protocol for that individual. Every person and every condition is unique. Hyperbaric treatments may require a one-hour or two-hour session. A treatment program may require 3 treatments a week for several weeks or more.

What is HBOT?

Consider this analogy:

A bottle of soda-pop is a pressurized vessel. In the bottle there is liquid. There is also ‘carbonation’ (the gas) and pressure. When the bottle is sealed, bubbles are not seen. The moment the cap is twisted and the seal is broken, there is a ‘swish’ and the pressure is released from the bottle. Now, all of a sudden there is a formation of bubbles in the bottle, and as time goes, they grow and float to the top of the liquid. Certainly the pressure in the bottle is quite high and the nature of the gas (carbonation) is a different than the 21% oxygen in the ambient air. However the concept is the same. In the hyperbaric chamber, as the pressure goes up, more oxygen from the air is ‘pushed’ into the fluids of the body.

The healing process occurs when a severely compromised tissue in the body begins to receive oxygen, and blood circulation to the tissue resumes. Note: The damaged tissue may not have been receiving enough blood for it to heal, due to a lack of blood circulation caused by the initial trauma.

What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Hyperbaric Therapy, also known as Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, HBO or HBOT, is a specialized therapy that uses an increase in atmospheric pressure to allow the body to incorporate more oxygen into blood cells, blood plasma, cerebral-spinal fluid, and other body fluids.

At sea level the atmospheric pressure is 1ATA (14.7 psi or pounds per square inch), which allows the lungs to absorb a normal amount of oxygen from the air. At higher altitudes, the pressure drops and the lungs are not able to absorb as much oxygen from the air. This is why oxygen masks drop in an airplane at high altitudes – to increase the oxygen content due to the lack of pressure. The exact opposite happens at lower altitudes (below sea level). There, the pressure is greater (above 1ATA) and now the lungs can more easily absorb the oxygen, and at a greater volume.  What this means for you is you can treat almost any condition from cancer to post-traumatic-stress disorder to diabetes with nature’s cure. Oxygen.

5 LIFE TRUTHS THAT CHANGE EVERYTHING

Life needn’t be tricky or confusing, although let’s face it — at times it may seem that way.

At times, it’s incredibly helpful to distill down what we absolutely need to know to live the miraculous, abundant life that is here for us. The five life truths below do exactly this, allowing you to easily connect into your truth (which is really the only truth worth following!) and live the life you came here for.

Follow the 5 truths below and get ready to be astounded as your whole life shifts into a higher frequency.

1. You are more than your body.

In Westernized culture there is a tremendous amount of focus on our bodies — from the latest food craze to losing “5 more pounds” to having “ripped abs.” The truth is that while our bodies do matter, we are so much more than our body. Our body is the sacred container for our soul, for our true essence.

The sooner we recognize this truth and begin living from a deeper, more expanded place — everything in our life transforms. Our relationships deepen, “ordinary” moments aren’t so ordinary anymore, we know the right action to take at the right time, abundance flows to us and we live in a deeper state of peace. When we engage with the magic of that deeper part of us, we begin to have a life experience that means so much more than eating the perfect diet or having a body that looks like what we see in the media.  We learn that when we live from the soul, not only does our physical body shift its appearance to be more in alignment with this truth, but our overall quality of life elevates.

2. Your body is a powerful tool of communication from your soul.

Our body works in direct harmony with our soul, serving as a honing device for our soul. Think of it as a tuning fork or a compass. Your body will let you know the messages from the deeper part of you that are unable to be translated in any other way. Your body can and does release limiting beliefs, fears and traumas, along with other toxins through deep breathing, bowel movements, tears and often that annual cold/flu you receive.

The body is an incredibly powerful guide that will give you what you need — even when you don’t realize you need it. To access this greater wisdom, you’ve got to create a strong communication system with your body.  Did you know you can use a deep detoxifying breath (inhale through the nose and exhale out the mouth) and focus on any area of pain to begin to release it?

Did you know you can talk to the parts of your body that get sick or are in pain and listen for responses to see what it is asking for? Or that you can work with a practitioner that can support you in learning your body’s communication style? Or better yet — do both?  Your body has powerful messages for you that will not only improve your physical health but will allow you to live the life you are meant to live.

3. If someone else can do what you do with ease and joy, let them.

Long-revered mantras like “No pain no gain” or “you must work hard for success” are now a dying breed. Because what truly successful people know is that if something is “hard” and feels like it’s going uphill, the best thing you can do is delegate it to someone that it is a breeze for. We all have specific talents that are unique to us — so let go of being a Jack or Jill of all trades (or to all people).

Why not love what you do, have a great life doing it and let those who are great at the things you aren’t do those things instead? Can you imagine a world where everyone did what they loved because it brought them joy and ease? You weren’t meant to do everything. So stop trying.

Having it all isn’t about doing it all, it’s about being smart enough to know when to delegate and when to sink into doing what you love. If it doesn’t bring you joy — outsource it.

In his book The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks calls this your “Zone of Genius.” And when we allow ourselves to work and live in our Zone of Genius, life is not only more fun, it’s easier which leaves us more relaxed and at peace.

4. Always follow your passion.

Passion is your indicator of alignment with your core self. When you feel enthusiasm and a strong momentum to move forward — that’s passion. Let it be a guiding force in your life. Ever go round and round in your mind about what decision to make, what you should do, what the next step is? We’ve all been there. But here’s the thing: once you’ve honed in on what your Zone of Genius is, you can make that a guiding force in your life.

You’ll always know the best decision for you because it will light you up inside, you’ll feel excited in your body and mind, and you’ll feel enthusiastic. You’ll know that when it doesn’t feel like work, but like play, that you’re on the right path for you. Passion is what gets you out of bed in the morning, eager for what lies ahead, and passion is what leads you to creating products, services, and offerings unlike anything before. Passion is what makes life interesting and enjoyable. It’s what makes life flow.

When you are continually following your passion, your life can expand in abundant ways that you would never experience if you did what everyone else did because it was the “right” thing to do. You didn’t come here for a life of mediocrity, you came here to be excited, lit up and totally inspired. When you let passion lead, decisions become much, much easier.

5. What you do matters because we are all connected.

Imagine a set of dominos and what happens when one gets pushed — they all fall down. It’s easy to get into our own worlds and forget about the billions of other humans that we share this planet with. But when we forget this, we forget one of the most important truths in this life — we are all connected.

We are all connected in a quantum-physics-everything-is-energy-and-energy-cannot-be-destroyed kind of way. We are sharing this planet with billions of others who just like us desire love, who want to be happy, who worry at times and who love their children and family.

We all have the ability to live our lives with the inherent knowing that what we do — whether we recycle, let the car in front of us merge, let the guy in the grocery line go ahead of us, bring reusable bags to the stores we shop at, say “thank you” and mean it, make eye contact with every person we pass on the sidewalk — is literally creating a better world to live in. When we hurt another, we hurt ourselves and we hurt many others because the ripple effect is not only real, it spreads to everyone we come into contact with.

How many of us have read a heartwarming story about people helping each other out — whether after a crisis or just a “random” act of kindness — and we end up with tears in our eyes or a big smile on our face? Doing good reaches the human spirit and the human heart in powerful ways. If we all made a commitment to living this truth there would be far less pain in the world and far more joy.

In fact, if you follow the above five life truths to the best of your ability, you’ll notice not only your own life improving —  everything from feeling better in your body, to understanding why life works the way it does, to improved relationships to greater wealth NS abundance – but you’ll also notice that the people around you are having similar experiences too.

You see, we are all powerful creators and our energy — good, bad or otherwise — affects those around us deeply. When we consciously and intentionally connect to the soul within us, follow the messages from our body, stay in our Zone of Genius, let passion be our guide and treat everyone as though they are someone we love — our world and the world around us gets to be a better place.

And isn’t that what we all truly want?