What Exactly is “HBOT”

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment in which a patient breathes enriched oxygen while inside a sealed chamber that is pressurized to greater than normal atmospheric pressure (typically 1.5–3.0 atmospheres absolute). Under these conditions, oxygen dissolves into the blood plasma at concentrations far higher than what is possible under normal breathing conditions. This increased plasma-dissolved oxygen allows oxygen to reach tissues with compromised blood flow, supports cellular metabolism, enhances mitochondrial function, stimulates angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation), reduces inflammation, inhibits certain anaerobic bacteria, and promotes wound healing and tissue repair at a cellular level.

From a medical perspective, HBOT works by leveraging basic gas laws (Henry’s Law), which state that higher pressure allows more gas, in this case oxygen, to dissolve into a liquid, your blood. This means oxygen can be delivered independently of red blood cells, allowing it to penetrate injured, inflamed, or oxygen-deprived tissues that may not be receiving adequate circulation.

Making Sense of the Science:

• Like pressurizing a sponge: Normally, your blood can only “hold” so much oxygen. HBOT is like squeezing extra oxygen into every available space, allowing it to soak into areas that usually don’t get enough.

• A traffic detour for oxygen: If oxygen delivery through blood vessels is like traffic on a highway, injury or inflammation creates roadblocks. HBOT gives oxygen side roads, delivering it directly through plasma so it can still reach its destination.

• Supercharging cellular batteries: Oxygen fuels your cells’ energy production. HBOT temporarily floods your body with extra fuel, allowing cells to repair, regenerate, and function more efficiently.

• Turning up the repair crew: Just as construction moves faster with more workers and materials, higher oxygen levels accelerate healing processes like collagen production, stem cell activation, and tissue regeneration.

In simple terms, hyperbaric oxygen therapy dramatically increases how much oxygen your body can use, allowing it to heal more efficiently, recover faster, and function at a higher level, especially in tissues that are injured, inflamed, or underperforming.