FAQ


What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)?

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is the medical use of oxygen under increased atmospheric pressure.

There are two basic types of HBOT – high pressure HBOT and mild HBOT.

  • High pressure HBOT treatments are delivered in a hard-sided chamber typically at pressures greater than 1.5 ATA, using 100% oxygen.
  • Mild HBOT takes place at lower pressures (typically 1.5 ATA or below), with 90-95% oxygen, inside a portable. soft-sided chamber.
  • In clinical trials to date, there has been virtually no difference in outcome between mild HBOT and high pressure HBOT.

Hyperbaric Vermont’s facilities provide mild HBOT, with concentrated oxygen (90-95%) at 1.3 ATA.

“I have had MS for close to 30 years. I’m writing to tell anyone with MS to give HBOT a try. 

2-1/2 yrs ago, I was in a wheelchair, unable to walk or drive, and I was starting to have difficulty swallowing.

After the 1st treatment I had feeling back in my feet. After 40 treatments the improvements became steady, I am no longer in a wheelchair, and can walk short distances without any assistance.

My goal is to be totally independent, which I know will come someday soon.”

– M.A.

What will happen during my Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment?

  • You will sit or lie down inside the chamber as you breathe concentrated oxygen through a face mask.
  • Over the course of a few minutes, a member of our patient care team will gradually pressurize the chamber to 1.3 ATA.
  • While inside the chamber you can rest, read, use an electronic device, or take a nap.
  • At the end of the session, we’ll gradually depressurize the chamber, and you are free to head out to your day.

How will I feel after Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Some people report feeling more relaxed after a session.

Others describe feeling a sense of mental clarity. This is because mild HBOT is good for addressing brain fog related to Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, radiation treatment, Long Covidmenopause, and chemotherapy.

Will I have any negative side effects from Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

  • Some people experience temporary ear discomfort while pressurizing or depressurizing the chamber, but it usually goes away after the first few sessions.
  • Sometimes ear discomfort is due to congestion, which makes it difficult for the ear to equalize pressure.
  • Since mild HBOT can be helpful for congestion, treatment may still be a good idea, and pressurizing more slowly may be all that you need.

How should I prepare for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

  • People generally benefit from a healthy lifestyle and good nutrition.
  • Eating prior to your appointment can maintain stable blood sugar during your treatment.
    • No food or drinks are allowed in the chamber, but if you have diabetes, we ask you to bring a snack in case your blood sugar drops in the chamber.
  • We recommend no nicotine or nicotine patches for several hours both before and after your appointment.
    • The longer you avoid nicotine, the more you’ll benefit from tissue oxygenation.
  • Remove your shoes, wear comfortable clothing, and avoid wearing any perfume/cologne as other people may be sensitive to them.
  • No sharp objects or incendiary devices (matches, lighters) in the chamber.
  • Please let us know about any changes to medications or your medical status.
  • Let our staff know if you have a cold or sinus congestion, as this may make it more difficult to equalize your ears and require slower pressurization of the chamber.
  • Empty your bladder just before to your session.

“If you have friends or family with a chronic inflammatory condition I urge you to share Hyperbaric Vermont with them.

It could really be a turning point for them as it was for me.”

 – L.W.


How frequently should I receive Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatments?

Your treatment plan will vary according to the type of health issues you are managing:

  • Treatment plans for improving surgical outcomes might consist of 10-20 sessions; 5-10 prior to the surgery, and 5-10 post-surgery.
  • If you are dealing with underlying issues such as diabetes or heart disease, or you are a smoker, 20-30 sessions may be more appropriate.
  • Interstitial cystitis generally requires 30 sessions.
  • Patients dealing with surgery or wound healing following cancer treatment will likely require 40 sessions.
  • For patients addressing chronic and neurological issues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Lyme disease, autism, traumatic brain injury, or stroke, repeated series of 40 sessions may be required, depending on the extent and severity of the condition and other underlying health issues.

Many physicians recommend an initial group of 40 sessions, 60 minutes in duration, 5-6 days per week.

Our staff is available to work with your physician to determine what frequency and duration would be appropriate for you, based on your particular condition or disease and current health status.

Studies show that frequency of treatment is important in achieving optimal outcomes. The rates of response to treatment vary between individuals. Some people notice effects immediately. For others, it can take 20-40 sessions before there’s noticeable change – though sometimes friends and family can see the effects before the patient does!

However, even when you can’t feel or see any difference, there are also effects happening on a cellular level which are the foundation of a larger healing process.

Note: A prescription is required to receive mild HBOT treatments and/or to purchase a portable hyperbaric chamber.

If I am dealing with a chronic condition that is responding to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, do I need to take a break after 40 sessions?

No, you do not and, in fact, it may be counterproductive.

Any time you take a break, there may be some degree of regression in any tissue that is still suffering from hypoxia (lack of oxygen).

Consistent, frequent treatment best support healing.

Is mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy safe?

Generally, mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy is very safe.

Ear pain is a mild risk due to difficulty equalizing ear pressure. It is typically temporary and easily controlled. Yawning or swallowing can remedy it, similar to what you would do when taking off and landing in an airplane.

Are there any reasons a person should NOT go into a mild hyperbaric chamber?

The only absolute contraindications to mild HBOT are pneumothorax and air-trapping emphysema.

If you are taking the following medications you should speak with your provider about discontinuing them prior to receiving mild HBOT.

  • Cis-Platinum – a chemotherapy agent
  • Doxorubicin (Adriamycin®) – a chemotherapy agent
  • Mafenide Acetate (Sulfamylon®) – a topical cream used to prevent and treat bacterial or fungal infections

What are the benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Benefits provided by mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy are the result of extra oxygen being carried to the tissues and organs of your body, providing you with one or more of the following effects:

  • Improved oxygen delivery to injured tissue
  • Increased healing rates of overused and traumatized tissue
  • Increased blood vessel formation
  • Reduced inflammation
  • Advanced wound healing
  • Improved infection control, as higher levels of oxygen have a natural antibiotic effect
  • Preservation of damaged tissues
  • Elimination and reduction of effects from toxic substances
  • Reduction or elimination of tissue obstruction by gas bubbles
  • Stem cell proliferation and mitochondrial switching
  • Immune system normalization

“I was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. 

After a month of using the hyperbaric chamber my CT scan showed nodules in my lungs shrunk by 1mm each. 

Thanks again, Hyperbaric Vermont, for all your help!”

– S.


What conditions are treated with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used internationally for more than 80 different conditions.

Wounds & Injuries

  • Athletic Injuries
  • Diabetic Ulcers
  • Radiation Damage
  • Crush Injuries
  • Non-Healing Wounds
  • Animal Bites
  • Skin Flaps
  • Surgical Grafts

Infections

  • Lyme
  • COVID
  • Mold Toxicity
  • Shingles
  • Herpes

Inflammatory Conditions

  • Rheumatoid Conditions
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Long COVID
  • Fibromyalgia

Digestive Disorders

  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Celiac Disease
  • IBS
  • Diverticulitis
  • Ulcerative Colitis

Auto-Immune Disorders

  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Lupus
  • Psoriasis
  • Addison’s Disease
  • Colitis

Neurological Disorders

  • Concussions
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Migraines
  • Dementia
  • PTSD
  • Chronic Fatigue
  • Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Stroke

Research also supports Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for conditions like:

  • Autism
  • Attention Deficit Disorder
  • Bell’s Palsy
  • Brain injuries
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Dermatological conditions
  • Diabetes
  • Dementia
  • Interstitial cystitis
  • Learning disabilities
  • Macular degeneration
  • Neuropathies
  • Pervasive development disorders
  • Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
  • Reconstructive surgery
  • Spinal cord injury

Research is showing that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy may also be effective as an anti-aging and cancer prevention strategy.

Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy approved by the FDA?

HBOT is FDA approved to treat:

  • Carbon monoxide & cyanide poisoning
  • Crush injury
  • Air or gas embolism
  • Acute traumatic ischemia
  • Decompression sickness
  • Delayed radiation injury
  • Diabetic foot ulcers,
  • Enhanced healing of problem wounds
  • Exceptional blood loss
  • Gas gangrene
  • Intracranial abscess
  • Necrotizing soft tissue infections
  • Osteomyelitis (refractory)
  • Skin grafts and flaps (compromised)
  • Thermal burns

Portable hyperbaric chambers are only cleared by the FDA to treat acute mountain sickness.

All other conditions treated by portable hyperbaric chambers are considered off-label uses.

However, many of these uses are quite commonplace in countries such as Russia, China, Japan, Italy, and the U.K.

Many of the common uses for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy are termed “off-label” by the FDA. What does “off-label” mean?

If a drug/device is prescribed for a particular diagnosis that does not appear on the FDA’s approved (i.e. labeled) list then its use is considered “off-­label.”

  • Off-­label uses are neither risky nor investigational; they constitute the traditional practice of medicine that has existed long before the FDA.
  • Often, the off-­label use of a drug or medical device may, in fact, be less risky than the approved indications.
  • Off-label use is widespread in the medical community and is often considered essential to giving patients optimal medical care.
  • The Food and Drug Law Journal states, “Off-­label uses of medical devices and drugs perform an important therapeutic role in many, if not most, areas of medical practice.”

Prescriptions for off­-label uses of drug products “may account for more than 25% of the approximately 1.6 billion prescriptions written each year, with some recent estimates running as high as 60%.”

Examples of off-label use

  • Beta-blockers are routinely prescribed for a variety of off-label uses
  • Tricyclic antidepressants are prescribed for chronic pain
  • Antipsychotics are used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
  • Pediatric uses for most medications are considered off-­label, as drugs are not routinely tested on children.
  • Many inhaled bronchodilators, antimicrobials, anticonvulsants, and proton pump inhibitors are frequently used for children without formal FDA approval.

“In some cases, if you didn’t use the drug in the off­-label way, you’d be guilty of malpractice” (Beck, J. & Azari, E., 1998). FDA, Off­Label Use, and Informed Consent: Debunking Myths and Misconceptions. Food and Drug Law Journal, 53: p. 80).

Along those lines, HBOT for brain injuries is simply the off­-label use of a FDA approved drug/device.

What’s the relationship between FDA approval and insurance?

Certain third party payers have used the FDA label indications as a means for determining reimbursement.

In practice, this results in restricting physicians’ ability to prescribe an approved drug/device off­-label.

To be clear, the FDA label was never intended to influence the practice of medicine, but an inaccurate understanding of the FDA’s intention has been used by third party payers to restrict reimbursement.

In the US, insurance does not cover mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Our mission is to make HBOT available to those who need it and we have priced our services in order to make them affordable.

Please see our treatment page for our full list of services.

Do you take insurance?

Unfortunately, most insurance policies don’t cover mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

Our fee structure for treatment and chamber sales reflects our mission, which is to make hyperbaric oxygen therapy available and accessible to those who can benefit from it.

Read our Financial Aid Policy.

See Dr. Grace’s video for more information.

Can I treat at either the South Burlington or Montpelier office??

No. While both offices are part of the same business, finances are tracked separately. So if you buy a package, you can treat at either South Burlington or Montpelier. You can’r go back and forth between the two. The one exception is if you’re you’re paying for each treatment individually at our Time Of Service rate.

The same holds true for our Affiliates. You can’t pay for a package at one location and then treat at another.

How can I learn more about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

We like the book The Oxygen Revolution by Dr. Paul Harch, M.D..

It explores the history and science behind HBOT, and shares case histories of patients who have benefited from HBOT.

Check out Dr. Harch’s lecture given at the 8th International Hyperbaric Symposium HBOT 2012, where he scientifically explains Adjunctive Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy in the Treatment of Cancer:

We also like the HBOT videos by Dr. Jason Sonners. For example: