Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for stroke patients may help regain mobility, improve memory, and treat other secondary effects of stroke. While this treatment just isn’t necessarily a latest concept, research into hyperbaric oxygen therapy for stroke patients is gaining popularity.
Every body is different and each stroke is different, so your recovery shall be unique and will require a mix of therapies. An example is hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which may be used together with rehabilitation exercises and other methods. In this text, we are going to discuss how hyperbaric oxygen therapy works, what impact it could have on brain function, and what advantages people can gain from this therapy.
What’s hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a non-invasive treatment method that involves respiration pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. This is finished in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, where the pressure of the air surrounding you increases, allowing your body to soak up an increased amount of oxygen.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy normally lasts approx 2 hours and may be administered in a transparent chamber or in a room designed to accommodate multiple patients. When an individual is placed in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, the air consists of 100% oxygen in comparison with the 21% of oxygen we normally take from the air. This promotes tissue healing in a wide range of conditions, including stroke, which we are going to discuss next.
How does oxygen therapy help with stroke recovery?
A stroke could also be ischemic or hemorrhagic. Some ischemic stroke occurs when an artery within the brain is blocked by a clot, while a hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel bursts. Each forms of stroke cause oxygen loss and tissue death within the brain and may result in quite a few unwanted effects.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the quantity of oxygen stored within the lungs, which in turn increases the quantity of oxygen available within the body’s tissues. This covers the brain tissue, increasing the quantity of oxygen available to the brain cells.
After a stroke, the brain can regenerate through a process called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity allows surrounding parts of the brain to take over responsibility for the damaged a part of the brain by constructing latest connections between brain cells. When the brain is busy rebuilding connections through the technique of neuroplasticity, it needs much more oxygen.
The brain consumes 20% oxygen within the body, but that is merely enough to support a small percentage of brain cells at any given time. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for stroke patients delivers additional oxygen to the brain, essentially acting as “brain food” to speed up the technique of neuroplasticity.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and percussion exercises
To trigger the rewiring process, you want to stimulate your brain through massive practice of rehabilitation exercises. For instance, if you must regain leg mobility, you want to maximize neuroplasticity by practicing leg movements over and yet again. Repeated practice is an integral part of stroke recovery.
After a stroke, your rehabilitation team will show you how to develop a plan that addresses your specific goals to enhance your function and independence. It normally consists of impact exercises designed to enhance range of motion, strength, gait, and efficiency of every day activities. While repetitive practice is a primary consider neuroplasticity, hyperbaric oxygen therapy may play a secondary role by speeding up the method.
Increased oxygen availability within the brain can optimize healing and regeneration of neural connections. Which means that survivors may experience faster improvements in functional movement on account of increased neural activity.
There is no such thing as a escape from the labor of rehabilitation, but hyperbaric oxygen therapy can provide potentially powerful relief for stroke patients. Next, let’s discuss the precise secondary effects of stroke which may be positively impacted by hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
What effects of stroke does oxygen therapy treat?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been proven to alleviate several unwanted effects often experienced by stroke patients. For instance, HBOT can result in: significant increase in cognitive functionseven within the later stages of stroke recovery. Currently, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to enhance mobility after stroke, even in stroke survivors.
Other reported advantages of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in stroke survivors include reducing tissue inflammation, reducing nerve cell death, and improving language skills. As well as, hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be: promising treatment for chronic post-stroke pain, which affects numerous survivors.
Stroke survivors can try HBOT at any stage of stroke recovery, whether the stroke occurred a number of months or a few years ago. Although most research has been conducted within the early stages of stroke recovery, Dr. Shai Efrati has published research that supports hyperbaric oxygen therapy for stroke patients within the chronic phase.
In his tests, Dr. Efrati found that increased brain activity, improved every day functioning, and improved quality of life are related to hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Which means that HBOT may be used to extend neuroplasticity within the later stages of stroke rehabilitation.
Potential disadvantages of oxygen therapy for stroke
Although hyperbaric oxygen therapy just isn’t a latest treatment method, research stays limited and the outcomes are mixed. For instance, one study investigated the consequences of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients after acute ischemic stroke. They found no profit from HBOT on this study group and suggested that this treatment may even be harmful to this population.
A 2005 systematic review suggests so insufficient evidence to find out the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients after stroke. Similarly, a review conducted in 2015 by American Heart Association concluded that hyperbaric oxygen therapy stays an experimental treatment for acute ischemic stroke.
Beyond the limited research, there’s also potential unwanted effects hyperbaric oxygen therapy. In some cases, HBOT may cause dizziness, fatigue, damage to the sinuses or inner ear, and temporary changes in vision. In additional extreme cases, lung problems and oxygen toxicity may occur.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for stroke: summary
When a stroke occurs, the brain is deprived of the oxygen it needs to operate normally, resulting in tissue damage. This results in quite a few unwanted effects and requires intensive rehabilitation for many survivors. This rehabilitation typically consists of a wide range of treatment techniques, depending on the unique needs of the survivor.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a treatment that involves providing the patient with 100% oxygen in a pressurized environment. By increasing the quantity of oxygen available to brain cells, it could facilitate healing and neuroplasticity. When combined with repetitive exercise, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has the potential to hurry recovery and aid within the return of each physical and cognitive function.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in stroke patients remains to be considered experimental. It can be crucial to check with your doctor to find out when you are a very good candidate for this treatment. Plus, they’ll offer you the green light seek for clinical trials in your area.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy could be a useful addition to a stroke recovery program. Nonetheless, it can be crucial to do not forget that repeated rehabilitation exercises and consistency are the important thing to recovery from a stroke. Remain committed to your rehabilitation program and proceed to work closely along with your rehabilitation team to realize your recovery goals.