At the professional level, sports injuries have important consequences, from team competition on the field to the economics of athletic success and revenues at the pro level. Any treatment that can speed healing from musculoskeletal injuries can serve the bottom line of athletes and sports organizations alike.
As a weekend warrior, you may not worry about the budgetary impact of a sports injury, but you may not want to pay the price in lost fun.
At Westside Pain Specialists, we offer hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as an exciting way to speed recovery from sports injuries as well as improve some aspects of sports performance. Dr. James Nassiri and our team specialize in this innovative therapeutic technique.
The air you breathe contains about 21% oxygen by volume. While that’s plenty to live life, your body can comfortably exist in environments of 100% oxygen. But you won’t encounter these naturally.
HBOT takes place in a pressure tank that achieves up to about three times normal atmospheric pressure. The high concentration of oxygen under this kind of pressure helps your lungs absorb more oxygen. Higher levels of blood oxygen promote faster healing and improved resistance to infection.
While HBOT may be best known for treating decompression sickness for deep sea divers, the benefits of this therapy are ideally suited for certain types of athletic injuries. Here’s what you can expect from HBOT.
HBOT has strong anti-inflammatory abilities. While inflammation is part of most healing activities within the body, excessive inflammation takes its own toll.
Control of inflammation via HBOT helps to keep healing progressing efficiently with faster tissue regeneration. This anti-inflammatory process stems from improved oxygen saturation associated with hyperbaric conditions.
Small proteins that play a role in immune system response, cytokines are both beneficial and potentially harmful when levels remain high. Elevated cytokines are often present in people who work out or play high-intensity sports frequently, creating a chronic state of inflammation that can reduce muscle function and delay recovery.
A comparatively new application of HBOT is its use as a concussion treatment. A common injury occurring in contact sports, concussion and post-concussion syndrome are sometimes notoriously difficult to treat.
A review of clinical studies assessing the use of HBOT on traumatic brain injuries points to statistically significant results despite small sample sizes.
Contact Dr. Nassiri and our team at Westside Pain Specialists to learn more about HBOT and how it may help your sports injury. Call the nearest of our three locations to book your consultation today. We’re located in Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, and Rancho Cucamonga, California.
