Perlmutter Health Center

Treatments with The Hyperbaric Chamber

Photo of Hyperbaric Chamber

We treat patients with a variety of medical conditions including:

Cerebral Palsy

To learn about our work with Cerebral Palsy, click here.

Multiple Sclerosis

Over the past two decades, extensive international medical research has demonstrated that HBO can play an extremely important role in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). In many European countries, HBO is now considered an integral part of the MS treatment program - in England alone, over 10,000 MS patients are currently receiving hyperbaric oxygen treatment. In a recent publication in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine entitled, "Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis, a Randomized, Placebo Controlled, Double-blind Study," researchers demonstrated significant objective improvements in a variety of MS symptoms in 70% of patients treated. At one year after treatment, deterioration was noted in 55% of MS patients not treated as compared to only 12% of patients who underwent hyperbaric oxygen treatment.

Barnes and co-workers publishing in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, demonstrated a remarkable slowing of cerebellar function (coordination) deterioration in their report of 120 MS patients one year following hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Other studies have shown an improvement in bladder function in HBO treated MS patients.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a potent therapeutic modality for the successful treatment of multiple sclerosis without the potential side effects associated with many currently used medications.

Bell'S Palsy

Bell's palsy is a common affliction characterized by the fairly sudden onset of weakness of one side of the face. Typically, patients are offered steroids early in the course of their illness in hopes of reducing swelling of the nerve involved in facial movement. Exciting new research demonstrates that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is significantly more effective than steroids in the treatment of Bell's palsy - both shortening the length of illness as well as increasing the likelihood of full recovery.

Meniere's Disease

Patients diagnosed with Meniere's disease typically suffer from recurrent attacks of disabling vertigo with progressive hearing loss. Until recently, therapeutic options were limited to either aggressive surgical or medical approaches.

Research published in a recent issue of Audiology confirms usefulness of HBO in Meniere's disease. HBO treated patients experienced significant improvement in attacks of vertigo as well as hearing. These improvements continued when these patients were re-evaluated two years after the hyperbaric oxygen treatment program.

Migraine Headaches

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an extremely useful modality in the abortive management of migraine headache. Research at the University of Pittsburgh published in the journal Headache found that 90% of migraine patients experienced virtually complete relief of pain when treated acutely with HBO.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease, first discovered in 1975, is an infectious illness transmitted by ticks. In the past decade, Lyme disease has spread across the nation and has increased in incidence some ten fold. Lyme infection may produce muscle and joint pain, immune system dysfunction, nervous system abnormalities, cardiac problems, and fever.

Typically, if aggressive antibiotic therapy is initiated early in the course of the illness, successful treatment is achieved. Unfortunately, many patients do not adequately respond to antibiotic therapy and essentially become incapacitated by this illness.

New and exciting research showing the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy now offers hope to patients crippled by chronic Lyme disease. Dr. William Fife at Texas A & M University has published extensive research demonstrating profound improvements in chronic Lyme disease patients treated with HBO. These improvements include pain reduction, return of clarity of mentation, reduction of depression, and frequently the ability to discontinue antibiotics.

Parkinson's Disease

Exciting new research published by Italian researchers and presented at the 12th International Congress on Hyperbaric Medicine confirms the profound effectiveness of HBOT in reducing symptoms of Parkinson's disease HOC Treatment Protocols - Parkinson's Disease (www.hochealth.com). The researchers demonstrated profound improvements in rigidity, posture, facial expression, slowness of movement, gait, sleep, and mobility. At The Perlmutter Hyperbaric Center HBOT is typically given in conjunction with intravenous administration, a protocol we have developed which has now received FDA approval for research evaluation.

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy

Although uncommon, reflex sympathetic dystrophy can be a crippling disease characterized by swelling and severe pain of an extremity, at times following what would otherwise have been trivial trauma. Treatment options including injection techniques and medication have met with only limited success. Having demonstrated its usefulness in clinical studies, HBO offers an effective treatment option in treating reflex sympathetic dystrophy.

Stroke

It has been estimated that at the present time there are about 1.7 million stroke survivors in this country. Regrettably, a commonly held belief is that once an area of the brain has been damaged by a stroke, nothing can be done to restore the function of that area. Recent scientific research has revealed that while the more central areas of stroke involve brain tissue may be irreversibly damaged, there exists an area surrounding this tissue which may be functionally salvaged with the use of hyperbaric oxygen. Since the early 1970’s, scientific journals have reported over 1,000 cases demonstrating a 40-100% rate of improvement for stroke patients treated with HBO. In the journal Stroke, Dr. Richard Neubauer, a pioneer in the use of hyperbaric oxygen and various neurological diseases, reported outstanding results in a group of 122 stoke patients treated with HBO. In one case, significant functional improvement was noted when HBO therapy was given 14 years after the initial stroke event.

The benefit of hyperbaric oxygen in stroke patients likely results from its ability to enhance the metabolism of so-called "idling nerve cells" as well as increasing oxygen supply surrounding the area of maximal damage.

West Germany has long recognized the effectiveness of HBO in stroke rehabilitation to the extent that now virtually all stroke patients in West Germany receive a three week intensive course of hyperbaric oxygen paid for by insurance companies.

In addition to the remarkable results in stroke patients, Dr. Neubauer has reported similar results in other types of brain injury treated with hyperbaric oxygen including traumatic injuries and anoxic events (near drowning and cardiac arrest).

Wound Healing

Without question, one of the most widely recognized applications of hyperbaric oxygen has been in the area of wound healing. Over the past 30 years, hundreds of scientific articles have been published describing profound enhancement in healing of a variety of problematic wounds with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. These conditions include decubitous ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, arterial insufficiency ulcers, burns, crush injuries, severed limbs, non-healing bone fractures, diabetic foot ulcers, brown recluse spider bites, poorly healing skin grafts, and osteoradionecrosis (bone damage as a result of excessive radiation exposure). The mechanisms by which HBO enhances healing include:

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be an important adjunct in a comprehensive wound healing program utilized in conjunction with other modalities including surgical, medical, and physiotherapeutic techniques.

We are proud to report that the Perlmutter Hyperbaric Center has become a world leader in the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in neurological disorders. To receive more information about hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of cerebral palsy, stroke recovery, multiple sclerosis or other neurological problem, contact The Perlmutter Hyperbaric Center at 239-434-9699.

"Knowing the patient is as important as knowing the illness."

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Perlmutter Health Center - Commons Medical Center
800 Goodlette Road North - Suite 270 - Naples, FL 34102
Tel: (239) 649-7400 - Fax: (239) 649-6370