Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a medical treatment method in which oxygen is forced into the body by placing a patient in a pressurized chamber.  The pressure that the person will encounter in this chamber is higher than regular atmospheric pressure that is encountered in a room.

Hyperbaric oxygen has many different therapeutic uses, several of which are for embolisms, carbon monoxide poisoning, wound treatment and even certain cases of cerebral palsy and autism.  There are many more uses of this treatment for numerous medical conditions that are still being studied and analyzed also.

One of the main reasons that hyperbarics work is because of the increased blood flow to your bodies cells.  This increased blood flow, under hyperbaric therapy, increased the amount of oxygen that is transported to your cells.  Oxygen is transported normally by the red blood cells with very little carried by the remainder of the fluid in your blood, the plasma. 

Because the plasma carries so little oxygen, when you are receiving HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy) the oxygen that is carried increases.   

 While mosts private insurance carriers don't pay for HBOT, Medicare does recognize some conditions as being allowed.  Some instances of carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness (the bends) from diving or certain wound care is covered by private insurance companies.

The costs associated with HBOT isn't as expensive as you think per session, however usually just one or two sessions aren't enough for the effects to be seen.  Most private centers will charge between $100 and $500 per session.  Sometimes the price can go as high as up to $1,000 per session also.

You can find centers that will offer a lower price is you book or prepay for a certain number of visits, similiar to a purchase discount.

 While there have been several studies on the effects of HBOT with autism, there have been some positive results so far.  More studies are ongoing and these are very preliminary and unconfirmed results that have not been officially released and reviewed.

A study was conducted in early 2009 of autistic children.  During this study it was found that after 40 hourly treatments there was improvement in the child's behavior after the treatment sessions.

 One of the more promising studies about HBOT is that children with minor to mild cerebral palsy have shown an increase in motor skills after treatments.  While not every child has shown improvements, those that did have shown small to substantial improvements. 

Other improvements in functional levels have also increased with treatments over time.  With any treatment that could be considered an alternative treatment, always check with your pediatrician and other specialists before beginning.

While the full benefits of HBOT are still being studied, there are some known complications to this treatment. Some people have experienced discomfort in their ears, with more severe side effects of tinitis and even mild hearing loss in extreme cases.

There are also known complications of sinus and lung issues and even oxygen toxicity. These generally resolved themselves after the treatments were stopped, within two to four weeks.

There are also numerous counterindications to HBOT treatments that you should check with your doctor about due to the nature of your medical condition and medications can alter or affect the treatments and complications.