Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

We are excited to offer Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at our clinic in Kentish Town. If you would like to purchase your own Oxyhealth machine, please contact us and we can get this arranged.

What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

HBOT is a specialised non-invasive oxygen treatment that helps to enhance the body’s natural healing processes. The clinical use of hyperbaric therapy dates back to the 1800s, with over 150 internationally approved conditions for which HBOT has been shown to be beneficial.

The patient breathes air while inside a pressurised chamber (ours is 1.3 atmospheres, or 4 PSI) which increases oxygen perfusion, and enables blood plasma to absorb up to fifteen times more oxygen for tissue use. HBOT has been shown to increase white blood cell function, nerve healing factors such as brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1), improve stem cell release, collagen production and wound healing. It has also been shown to support mitochondrial repair, has anti-inflammatory activity, and support the body’s own natural healing processes. We also use an oxygen concentrator to bring the oxygen level up to 94% (although some people who are sensitive will be started on atmospheric oxygen of 21%

Who is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for?

HBOT is popular amongst the biohacking community and is commonly used to improve overall health and in the management of chronic health conditions and disease. It also has benefits for injury recovery, anti-ageing and beauty, as well as recovering from the effects of jetlag or a heavy night. The specifics of your needs, and whether HBOT is right for you, will be discussed with you. HBOT is very popular among people with high pressure working environments as a means of ensuring the demands of their lifestyle don’t take too great a toll on their bodies.

What are the benefits?

The benefits of HBOT can be split into two groups:

Optimise Wellbeing & Performance

HBOT can be used to ensure the body is functioning at its optimum capacity, which make it the treatment of choice for the health conscious, athletes and biohackers. It’s considered effective for:

  • Optimising post-workout recovery
  • Increasing osteoblast and osteoclast production, regenerating bone faster
  • Stimulating stem cells
  • Reducing free radicals by stimulating superoxide dismutase, one of the cell’s most powerful detox enzymes.
  • Reducing swelling and inflammation
  • Muscle recovery
  • Injury repair
  • Sports performance enhancement

HBOT is an effective component of a chronic illness management strategy, including for:

  • Traumatic Brain Injuries
  • Chronic Fatigue / Fibromyalgia / ME
  • Cognitive Impairments / Dementia including as part of the Bredesen Protocol
  • Sensorineural Hearing Loss and tinnitus
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Multiple Sclerosis & other Autoimmune Diseases (particularly neurological autommunity)
  • PTSD, adrenal dysregulation, stress, anxiety and low mood
  • Hair Loss and post-surgical recovery (including plastic surgery)
  • Sports injuries
  • Stroke, cardiovascular issues, sleep apnoea, diabetes, insulin resistance, and weight loss
  • an Integrative Cancer Protocol
  • a long COVID protocol, Lyme Disease

This is a great resource which looks at studies on HBOT and different conditions.

What sort of chamber is it?

We use an extremely high-quality Oxyhealth chamber which is made in America. These chambers are free of the harmful chemicals which can off-gas. Off-gassing can be an issue with cheaper brands, not just for xenoestrogenic toxic load but also risk of fire. The sessions are carried out in our Kentish Town Clinic, where we have free parking.

What happens during a session?

A hyperbaric session lasts for between 55 and 80 minutes and is a very relaxing process. The chamber itself is a spacious and comfortable fabric container with windows so there’s plenty of natural light. WE have an Oxyhealth Vitaeris chamber in the clinic. During the process you can meditate, have a nap or read. We also offer red light therapy as a concomitant treatment as our red light devices have been safely designed to go in a soft hyperbaric chamber.

Why are sessions with Anthrobotanica different?

Because our team has undergone extensive training in hyperbaric oxygen medicine, we can fully personalise your sessions, which is not something that can be done at either a multiplace chamber centre or a hyperbaric oxygen clinic where clinicians have not undergone specialist training. Most hyperbaric oxygen centres in the UK do not even have trained technicians, so they are often unaware of contraindications, safety requirements or how to tailor treatment to maximise efficacy. We also train our patients who have purchased their own machines via our clinic how to implement their sessions themselves and how to set up their machines correctly and safely.

Is it safe?

Yes. I am a trained and fully safety-certified practitioner with the International Board of Undersea Medicine, and the length of the session and the pressure are all kept well within safe parameters. I am also specialised in neurological autoimmunity, cancer and other complex chronic conditions, and am able to ensure that protocols are clinically relevant and designed appropriately for a patient. However, there are certain restrictions on patients with specific health conditions and we will discuss this with you.

You cannot undergo HBOT if you:

  • Have certain types of lung diseases or bronchospasm
  • Have a collapsed lung
  • Have had recent ear surgery or injury
  • Do not like small enclosed spaces (claustrophobia)
  • Are pregnant

We need further information if you:

  • Have an upper respiratory tract infection or a dental infection
  • Have sinus congestion
  • Are on medications such as Doxorubicin, Disulphiram, Cisplatin
  • Have optic neuritis
  • Have a history of seizures
  • Have any implanted devices such as a pacemaker.

How will I feel during the process?

As the chamber is compressed, you might feel a sensation of fullness building in your ears, similar to changing altitude in an aeroplane, and can be dealt with by swallowing or moving the jaw. These processes will be practiced before the session starts. If there is any discomfort, you can easily communicate this to the practitioner who will stop the pressurisation. Discomfort which dose not go away may indicate that there is a sinus infection or underlying dental issues that need to be resolved.

How will I feel afterwards

Occasionally the process can cause minor fatigue and light-headeness. Some patients feel a popping in their ears, similar to takeoff and landing in an aeroplane. Most people feel quite relaxed.

Can I pay using health insurance?

We do not offer a direct pay option but you may find that your insurance provider covers HBOT for you.

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