Research library
The studies, in plain English.
12 studies across 7 conditions. Every one is linked, and we say only what the study says.
Condition
Diabetic foot ulcers
Most studied
The deepest evidence base. Reviews generally support HBOT as an add-on to standard wound care, with open questions about how long the benefit lasts.
Efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for diabetic foot ulcer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials
Concludes HBOT is an effective adjunct treatment for diabetic foot ulcers.
Read the studyCochrane review of HBOT for chronic wounds (Kranke et al., 2015)
As cited by later authors: improved wound healing at 6 weeks, but not at 12 months, and no reduction in major amputation rate. We cite this secondhand and are adding the primary link.
Primary link being addedHyperbaric oxygen therapy for nonischemic diabetic ulcers: a systematic review
Seven studies, only two of them randomized trials, so this narrower subgroup is thinly supported.
Read the studyCondition
Late radiation tissue injury
Cochrane-reviewed
A recognized use. The Cochrane review reports low-to-moderate certainty evidence of benefit for head and neck bone and soft tissue injury.
Condition
Mild TBI and post-concussion symptoms
Mixed
Some trials report symptom and cognitive gains at 1.5 ATA. A large sham-controlled military trial did not separate treatment from sham. Pressure and dose seem to matter.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can improve post-concussion syndrome years after mild traumatic brain injury: a randomized prospective trial
56 patients, 1 to 5 years after mild TBI with lingering post-concussion syndrome. The trial reported improvement with HBOT.
Read the studySystematic review and dosage analysis: HBOT efficacy in mild traumatic brain injury persistent postconcussion syndrome
Reports that multiple randomized and controlled studies showed statistically significant symptom and cognitive improvement with HBOT at 1.5 ATA.
Read the studyA composite outcome for mild traumatic brain injury in trials of hyperbaric oxygen
In the HOPPS trial, scores fell in both the HBOT and sham groups and the difference was not significant. The second trial favored HBOT on its 13-week composite. A fair reminder that results are not unanimous.
Read the studyHyperbaric oxygen therapy for traumatic brain injury: a systematic review of the evidence
Found the best evidence, two fair-quality randomized trials, to be conflicting. Older and broader than the mild-TBI reviews above.
Read the studyCondition
Post-COVID condition
Early
A sham-controlled randomized trial reported improvement in long-COVID symptoms. Promising, and still early.
Condition
Healthy aging
Early
Biomarker findings, such as telomere length, are interesting. They are not yet proof of better health outcomes.
Condition
PTSD
In trials
A pragmatic, double-blind randomized trial is registered. We are tracking it and will report when results exist.
Condition
Acute ischemic stroke
Insufficient evidence
The Cochrane review found the evidence insufficient, which is a good reminder that hyperbaric oxygen is not a cure-all.
Research is only half the answer.
Whether a particular chamber can deliver what a study tested is the other half. Fifteen minutes can walk you through it.
Book a 15-minute call