Treating Cerebral Palsy With Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

What is cerebral palsy?

The term cerebral palsy refers to a class of disorders resulting in highly compromised motor skills, leading to spastic movements, loss of fine motor control, and awkwardly contracted muscles. Although the exact cause of cerebral palsy can not always be determined, complications during birth, or injuries account for many cases of cerebral palsy.

There is no known cure for cerebral palsy, it is a lifelong disorder. However, with intensive treatment and therapy regimen, as well as the attention and care from parents and medical staff, many children with cerebral palsy can be functional, relatively independent entities.

Summary of hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is the administration of high concentrations of oxygen in strong, but controlled pressure environment. Originally developed as a treatment for decompression illness in divers, HBOT is essentially creates an extremely oxygen-rich blood supply and the internal body environment. HBOT has also proven effective in promoting the healing process of severe burn victims and patients with severe, slow-healing wounds.

HBOT for cerebral palsy is usually given to the pressure equivalent to 16.5 to 25 meters below sea level, in one hour sessions. Studies have supported the benefits of HBOT in cerebral palsy patients, improve patients' speech, hearing and vision capabilities, while reducing spasticity and 50 %.

Scientists argue that the effectiveness of HBOT in the treatment of symptoms of cerebral palsy goes to the root causes of cerebral palsy. In patients with cerebral palsy, the brain has difficulty communicating with the rest of the body, resulting in the characteristic spastic, jerky movements. In some cases, where the cerebral palsy caused by traumatic head injury related to birth complications, lack of oxygen flow and increased swelling in certain areas of the brain causes the sections to fall into a dreamy stanju.Hyper-oxygen environment created by HBOT is to promote the revival of the dormant areas and reduce brain swelling by constricting blood vessels.

As with many forms of treatment, HBOT has been proven more effective if administered in the early stages of cerebral palsy, however, some evidence shows the benefits of HBOT, even years after symptoms first

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the risks properly-administered HBOT are quite manje.Najčešća is a side effect of HBOT therapy, ear discomfort, a similar effect in a rapidly growing aircraft. This is due to pressure differences created by HBOT is a high pressure environment. In very rare cases, damage to the eardrum May result if pressure is not alleviated. Simple techniques such as swallowing, jaw movements, or Valsalva maneuver were all able to equalize this pressure differential.