HBOT Therapy

HBOT Therapy: A Potential Treatment for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Although Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has been there for decades, it is still at an emerging stage for treating neurological disorders like cerebral palsy. While treating children affected by the disorder requires caution and patience, HBOT therapy has shown significant results in mitigating the common symptoms.

This post lights a torch on such findings and discusses the possibilities of treating cerebral palsy with HBOT therapy.

Read on to find out.

Cerebral Palsy: Symptoms and Early Diagnosis

Cerebral palsy is necessarily classified as a disorder of the neurological kind that majorly affects muscles and movement and further extends to affect one’s posture. In some cases, it is caused by severe damage brought to a developing brain, even before birth.

In time, the signs and symptoms start appearing throughout toddler and pre-school years and include the likes of:

  • Exaggerated reflexes

  • Eye imbalance

  • Spasticity of limbs

  • Abnormal posture accompanied by involuntary movements.

  • Unsteady gait or a combination of all these

Also, children affected by cerebral palsy are known to exhibit issues with swallowing and difficulty focusing on one subject. Reduced range of motion and muscle stiffness aren’t uncommon either.

What’s interesting to note is that the underlying cause of cerebral palsy and its effect on an individual varies from case to case. While many can walk easily, others might need external assistance. In rare cases, epilepsy or blindness can also be observed.

One must remember that cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition, and although there isn’t any possible cure, continued treatment can help keep the symptoms at bay.

How HBOT Therapy Can Help?

Simply put, HBOT therapy is one such treatment that harnesses the power of oxygen to treat a multitude of conditions.

A typical HBOT session sees a patient stepping inside a hyperbaric chamber where pure oxygen is released at three times the normal pressure. The patient starts to breathe in the same, which is then picked up via the bloodstream, and thus the lungs can accumulate a higher volume of oxygen.

This additional volume of oxygen functions to fight the infection, thereby helping the body stimulate and subsequently release stem cells. In essence, it restores the normal functioning capacity of tissues to initiate healing.

HBOT therapy first came into the picture in the early 20th century when it was used by the US Navy to treat decompression sickness in deep-sea divers. By the 1960s, it had already become a recognized form of treatment to address incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Today, HBOT therapy is a recognized form of treatment for not one but multiple diseases and disorders that include:

  • Carbon monoxide and cyanide poisoning

  • Crush injuries

  • Gas gangrene

  • Reduced blood flow in the arteries

  • Skin grafts and flaps

  • Osteomyelitis

  • Radiation injury

  • Necrotizing tissue infection

  • Gas embolism

  • Actinomycosis

  • Diabetic wounds

Although the role of HBOT therapy in treating children diagnosed with cerebral palsy has been met with mixed results, its efficacy still can’t be ignored.

This is more evident in cases where the child has reportedly been subjected to a trauma or a severe brain injury, thereby leading to palsy than a developmental or genetic factor.

In one instance, a child born with cerebral palsy witnessed significant improvement in mitigating symptoms like weak and uncontrolled limb function accompanied by improper head signals. When subjected to HBOT therapy for no less than six months, the child started showing improvement in overall coordination.

In another case, a child in a critical state where one of his testicles was severely affected was advised to opt for surgery. HBOT therapy for the family was the last resort. Before he underwent the same, his parents told the media that his entire body was crooked like a banana and that he practically had no control over his muscles and had to be fed via a tube. Also, he was under sixteen different medications but still failed to show any normal signs of cognition.

Sure, it took time for the patient to recover, and that was no earlier than eight years of HBOT therapy alongside regular treatment. Now, his parents confirm him being a new person altogether, having responded immensely well to HBOT.

  • His general sense of understanding was restored.

  • He could read, solve math, and could even tell the time correctly- things that are uncommon for children affected by cerebral palsy.

  • He accompanied his parents to football matches, rode on horseback, and could remember the events in sequence.

On the other hand, some research studies do not glorify the role of HBOT therapy, as the placebo-controlled trials didn’t see much improvement compared to regular treatment.

Wrap Up

So, the question remains– should you consider HBOT therapy to treat a child diagnosed with cerebral palsy since it has mixed results?

The simple answer is yes.

This is because HBOT, even if it fails to bring any positive effect, is way safer than surgeries and can generally boost other factors that can lead to overall improvement.

However, the major hiccup comes in the form of medical coverage. While leading insurance providers offer coverage when opting for HBOT, there are a few cases where they might not choose to do so. Thus, it is recommended to check with your medical insurance provider before signing up for HBOT sessions.

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