Hyperbaric Oxygen Relieves Migraine Headaches
Migraines are a neurological condition that can cause pain, not just in the head but also in other areas of the body. We know that how debilitating migraines can be. Fortunately, both studies and our clinical experience show that HBO treatments often relieve active headaches and migraines. For some patients, HBOT has been able to virtually eliminate ongoing migraines.
Migraines are a neurological condition that can cause pain, not just in the head but also in other areas of the body. We know that how debilitating migraines can be. Fortunately, both studies and our clinical experience show that HBO treatments often relieve active headaches and migraines. For some patients, HBOT has been able to virtually eliminate ongoing migraines.
Discover relief with our advanced hyperbaric chamber treatment for migraines. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and take the first step towards a migraine-free life.
How Hyperbarics Helps
Opens blood vessels to increase blood supply
Builds new blood vessels
Decreases inflammation
Increases oxygen carried in blood plasma, enabling more oxygen to reach the brain and body
Studies have shown that hyperbaric oxygen proves useful in relieving active headaches, whereas oxygen by itself tends not to provide relief.
Members of our staff know how debilitating migraine headaches can be. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a natural treatment for migraine and headaches, including cluster headaches.
How does HBO treatment eliminate migraine headaches? Normal room air has a 21% oxygen level. In our hyperbaric chambers, patients receive 100% oxygen while under increased atmospheric pressure. This combination of high oxygen concentrations and pressure from the hyperbaric chamber causes oxygen to dissolve into the patient's plasma, where it then migrates to areas of the brain and body that are deprived of life-giving oxygen. In our experience, patients with an acute migraine often (but do not always) resolve within one treatment.
For migraine relief, this therapy works through several physiological mechanisms:
1. Increased Oxygen Delivery: HBOT dramatically increases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the bloodstream, delivering up to 15 times more oxygen to tissues than normal breathing. This helps counteract the localized cerebral hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) often associated with migraine attacks.
2. Vasoconstriction: The increased oxygen levels cause blood vessels to constrict, which can help reduce the vascular dilation and inflammation commonly associated with migraine pain.
3. Reduced Inflammation: HBOT has anti-inflammatory effects that may help calm the neurogenic inflammation involved in migraine pathophysiology.
4. Neuronal Stabilization: The therapy appears to stabilize overactive neurons that might trigger migraine attacks, potentially by modulating neurotransmitter activity and improving mitochondrial function in brain cells.
5. Enhanced Brain Metabolism: The increased oxygen availability supports more efficient energy metabolism in the brain, which may be particularly beneficial since migraines are often linked to metabolic disturbances in cerebral tissue.
Some patients ask if extra oxygen by itself can help eliminate migraines. Sadly, both research and anecdotal data suggest that it does not. Studies show that hyperbaric oxygen does prove effective in treating migraines and headaches, whereas oxygen by itself does not provide such relief.
Patient Experiences
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Lisa, 67
HBOT reduced migraines from one per week to one or two per year.
Plagued with Migraine headaches since her early 50’s, Lisa had to take medication on average twice per week to ward off her migraines. Her physician told her that if she did not use her medication, complications, such as blindness, could arise. Often, her migraines required two days to recover, even with medication, during which time they would diminish her ability to focus at work.
After hyperbaric chamber treatment for an early childhood concussion (60 treatments at 2.0 ATA), her migraines virtually ceased. She is now down to two episodes per year instead of two per week and only renews her prescription once per year instead of every two weeks. Lisa points out that nothing changed in her life that could have caused the improvement other than HBO treatment. -
Jim, 58
His physician recommended Hyperbarics, which eliminated 90% of his migraines.
Jim had migraine headaches on average every six weeks, each of which lasted three to five days and left him unable to work. He had to lie quietly in a dark room, and even medication at times did not work. His physician prescribed hyperbaric oxygen therapy, saying, “it can’t hurt, and some patients tell me it helps.”
During his treatment protocol for migraines and headaches of 60 sessions, he did not have any migraines. Moreover, he did not have any migraines for a full year after having stopped. When we checked back two years later, he had been mostly pain-free for those two years. Contrast this with losing a week of productive living every six weeks before hyperbarics. -
Priya, 38
Though treated for Fibromyalgia, hyperbarics also eliminated her headaches.
Priya was a mother of two who loved playing with her kids. She was being treated for Fibromyalgia, which hyperbarics helped treat. The nice side-effect was that hyperbaric chamber treatment eliminated her recurrent headaches throughout her treatment and decreased their occurrence for over a year after treatment. What a nice side-effect!
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Related Articles
Still looking for answers?
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What is Hyperbaric Medicine?
Hyperbaric medicine, also called hyperbaric oxygen therapy or HBOT, is a medical treatment where a patient sits or lies in a pressurized chamber and breathes 100% oxygen. In HBOT, oxygen dissolves into the blood, thus raising the oxygen concentration to very high levels. This increased oxygen is a primary building block for tissues, muscle, and bone repair. Among other benefits, it kicks off cell reproduction, heals injuries and infections more rapidly, and decreases inflammation.
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Does HBOT kill cancer cells?
Current research indicates that hyperbaric oxygen does not kill cancer cells. However, there has been a small amount of research indicating that hyperbaric oxygen might reduce the size of certain tumors. Also, there has been a study on mice using hyperbaric oxygen, along with a ketogenic diet, to reduce tumors.
Hyperbaric oxygen causes many different healing modalities to kick into gear. Could its effect on strengthening the immune system inhibit the growth of cancer cells? Nobody knows. There are numerous studies conclusively showing that hyperbaric oxygen does not encourage cancer cells or tumors to grow.
Some patients claim that hyperbaric oxygen makes them feel a lot more comfortable and functional after chemotherapy and also during healing. Note that some chemotherapy drugs are not to be used with hyperbaric oxygen, as the chemotherapy drugs can be enhanced and thus become toxic. A good hyperbaric oxygen facility (such as Bay Area Hyperbarics) will always call the chemotherapy manufacturer to ensure that hyperbaric oxygen therapy will be helpful and not damaging to the patient. -
What is the CPT code for HBOT?
The CPT code for HBOT is G0277.
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Does Medicare cover HBOT?
Medicare covers Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for approved conditions, and many insurance companies also cover approved conditions. If your condition is not approved by your insurance, we can discuss our special rates. Give us a call at (408) 356–7438. We are happy to discuss your options with you.
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Can HBOT help Neuropathy?
Hyperbaric treatments help heal neuropathy by regrowing small blood vessels and nerves that have died from disease, injuries from radiation, and aging. Patients often experience numbness and or pain when they start treatment. Hyperbaric treatments most often bring back sensation and make, for example, walking easier and more enjoyable.
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Why would a physician consider HBOT?
A physician would consider using hyperbaric chamber therapy in a variety of situations. Physicians most typically refer patients to hyperbarics when the patient is not healing with traditional medical interventions, and hyperbaric chamber therapy is approved by Medicare for this condition.
Some patients experience significant unresolved pain, and unremitting disease states that the mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a hyperbaric chamber are known to affect, such as the downregulation of inflammatory genes. For example, some patients have experienced severe, unremitting hives with itching, which did not improve with any specialist interventions. Some physicians will consider hyperbaric chamber therapy if the patient has no other good avenues for improving their failing health, and they know the hyperbaric chamber therapy is safe and will not harm the patient. -
What is Hypebaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment where you inhale 100% oxygen in a chamber with increased atmospheric pressure. HBOT injects 400x the oxygen into your tissues and bones and mobilizes stem cells. It regrows healthy tissues in the brain, blood vessels, skin, and bones. It also reduces pain and swelling and speeds recovery. It is simple, effective, and painless.