Oxygen Therapy

What is Oxygen Treatment?
Oxygen Treatment refers to breathing a high level of oxygen for a short time to correct a lack of oxygen in the tissues of the body. Oxygen is usually given as a supplement to patients with breathing problems when the level of oxygen in their blood is below normal. Loose fitting masks or nasal prongs are used for long term oxygen supplementation, which raise the level from 21% present in air to approx. 28 – 35%.

The oxygen we breathe is not only needed for energy, it is needed to allow recovery from sickness or injury. However, damage to tissues includes their capillaries which reduces blood flow, so just when more oxygen is needed there is less available. Even when the level of oxygen in the blood is normal, if the reduction in blood flow is severe, insufficient oxygen may reach the cells for repair to take place. To raise the level of oxygen in damaged tissues pure (100%) oxygen can be breathed with with a tight fitting mask, but because oxygen is poorly soluble in blood it is also necessary to use a higher pressure. Individuals receiving Oxygen Therapy therefore need to sit in a pressure chamber known as a barochamber. These are rooms built of steel or concrete. The MS Therapy Centre’s chamber seats up to 8 people. Barochambers are pressurised up to twice normal atmospheric pressure. The pressure inside is increased by using compressed air, and oxygen is provided by a built in breathing system. This is exactly the same system used in commercial aircraft.

How does breathing a high level of oxygen help?

It is well known that oxygen is used in metabolism to gain energy from glucose, which is used to build cells and other actions, for example to power muscles. However, the latest research has now shown that oxygen levels regulate at least 84 genes. Oxygen controls a wide range of actions including the control of blood flow, the production of red blood cells and new capillaries. Giving a high level of oxygen is the only way to actually reduce blood flow and yet, at the same time increase the delivery of oxygen to swollen tissues. A course of 20 one-hour sessions of oxygen therapy increases the stem cells in the circulation 8 fold. Research in hospital patients who have received organ transplants has shown that stem cells can repair tissue damage by growing new cells; in organs such as the heart and the brain.

Oxygen has also been shown to be the agent controlling inflammation. Inflammation is the process by which the body controls infection – when infection causes the oxygen level to fall in a tissue this attracts white blood cells to the area. The white cells migrate from the blood into the tissues to envelope the infectivemicrobials and then use oxygen to from free radicals to kill infective agent. This defence mechanism, the immune response, is also used to identify tissues damaged by injury and to begin the repair process by removing damaged cells. Unfortunately, if the tissue oxygen level is too low there is insufficient energy to allow repair and the tissue becomes chronically inflamed. This is what happens in a number of diseases like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Scientific studies have shown that inflammation and the associated gene activity can be reduced by giving a high level of oxygen leading to recovery.

What is a treatment session like?
Oxygen Therapy sessions at registered centres are simple, non-invasive and painless, and once they have become accustomed to the procedure most members find the sessions pleasurable and relaxing.
Each session is in three phases:

1. Pressurisation – After members have entered the barochamber, to start a session the door is closed, there is the sound of incoming air and the pressure increases. It will usually get slightly warmer by a degree or so Celsius. Members usually feel “fullness” in their ears similar to descending from altitude in an aircraft. This can be relieved by clearing or “equalising” the pressure in the ears either by using prescribed techniques or just making conversation. If a member suffers discomfort they must inform the No.1 operator and the rate of compression can be either relieved or reduced. Other sounds can usually be ignored but experienced operators generally give reassurance to members until they are used to the experience.
2. Treatment – The treatment begins when the pressure reaches a prescribed level. Members may then rest, read or listen to music.
3. Depressurisation – The No.1 Operator advises members when the treatment is complete and reduces the pressure slowly, until it is the sam as the ambient atmosphere. At this point the barochamber door is opened and the session ends

Please see Centre Information for Therapy Times