Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury T.B.I. / Encephalopathy:

Traumatic brain injury, often referred to as TBI, is most often an acute event similar to other injuries. That is where the similarity between traumatic brain injury and other injuries ends. One moment the person is normal and the next moment life has abruptly changed.

In most other aspects, a traumatic brain injury is very different. Since our brain defines who we are, the consequences of a brain injury can affect all aspects of our lives, including our personality. A brain injury is different from a broken limb or punctured lung. An injury in these areas limit the use of a specific part of your body, but your personality and mental abilities remain unchanged. Most often, these body structures heal and regain their previous function.

Brain injuries do not heal like other injuries. Recovery is a functional recovery, based on mechanisms that remain uncertain. No two brain injuries are alike and the consequence of two similar injuries may be very different. Symptoms may appear right away or may not be present for days or weeks after the injury. One of the consequences of brain injury is that the person often does not realize that a brain injury has occurred.

See Related Conditions: Autism, Migraine, Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke

Come see what Pikes Peak Hyperbaric is doing to help wounded soldiers with Traumatic Brain Injuries and PTSD with help from program

S.O.S. (Save our Soldiers). Treating soldiers for free with corporate sponsorship? Why not?

Videos

Articles

Article Title (Click on Title to View or Download)	Description of Article
Military TBI study by Dr. Harch	Article discussing the effectiveness of HBOT for traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and Dr. Harch's struggle to get government approval for treatment for military vets who have suffered a TBI.
HBOT in the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury	Dr. Ken Stollar speaks about his use of HBOT and how it is now being used to treat TBI. Dr. Ken Stollar has been board certified for over 2 decades.
Treatment with HBOT Benefits Veterans	A brief article about how HBOT is helping soldiers with Traumatic Brain Injuries recover.
Mild Hyperbarics For Imparied Brain Function	An article by Dr. Gunnar Heuser M.D., PhD, FACP showing actual SPECT scans of a brain injury pre & post Mild HBOT.
Low pressure HBOT and SPECT Brain Imaging in the Treatment of Blast-induced Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury	A 25-year-old male military veteran presented with diagnoses of post concussion syndrome and post traumatic stress disorder three years after loss of consciousness from an explosion in combat. The patient underwent single photon emission computed tomography brain blood flow imaging before and after a block of thirty-nine 1.5 atmospheres absolute hyperbaric oxygen treatments. The patient experienced a permanent marked improvement in his post-concussive symptoms, physical exam findings, and brain blood flow.
First lady announces new program to help traumatic brain injuries	NEW ORLEANS -- A local doctor was among those asked to be with Michelle Obama today in Richmond, Virginia, as she announced a new program to help the troops coming home from the wars in the Middle East. Dr. Paul Harch joined the first lady to talk about how medical schools can do research and train new doctors to better care for veterans needs, especially with brain injury.

Hyperbarics As An Alternative Therapy:

Physicists figured out years ago that a gas under pressure is more likely to dissolve into liquid—in mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the gas is oxygen and the liquid is blood. But under pressure, oxygen doesn’t only hook up to red blood cells (the “traditional” way oxygen is delivered to tissues), it also dissolves into the plasma. When that plasma circulates near dormant or injured tissue such as an encephalopathic brain, a bruised muscle, a sprained tendon, or a surgical wound, the oxygen in the plasma can and does dissolve further into the damaged area than the oxygen that’s attached to the red blood cell in that “traditional” delivery system.

When hyperbaric therapy was first used, higher pressures of 2-4 ATA (absolute atmospheres) of pressure and 100% oxygen were used. The world of hyperbaric medicine is learning that lower pressures (1.3 ATA in the portable chambers approved by the FDA for use in the home, 1.3-1.5 ATA in larger hospital and clinic based chambers) and less oxygen (often 21 to 40% FiO2) seem to have excellent effect on multiple systems of our bodies. In particular, lower pressure appears to be more beneficial for the injured brain than higher pressure.

We can look to apparent healing of the brain by monitoring its perfusion and activity. We can also monitor behaviors, response to stimuli (sensory function) and motor skills. Monitoring of cerebral brain flow can be done with a Brain SPECT (Single Photo Emission Computed Tomography) scan. SPECT scans before and after 40 sessions of mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy (MHBOT) have shown dramatic improvements in cerebral brain flow that is sustained over time. In addition, three recent small studies conducted independently at three different centers showed significant improvement in behavior ratings scales with mild hyperbaric therapy. This would seem to correlate with the improved cerebral brain flow that has already been documented.

Pikes Peak Hyperbaric - Contact Form:

Please use the submission form below to send your request to the staff at Pikes Peak Hyperbaric regarding your interest in our hyperbaric oxygen therapy services. Indicate your initial health condition from the pop-down list of ailments, and whether or not you have already consulted with a Physician about your condition. Also, let us know if you are close to the Denver or Colorado Springs area's as we have two servicing locations. A PPH company representative will contact you shortly via e-mail to follow-up and determine your potential treatment options.

Thank you very much for your interest in Pikes Peak Hyperbaric!

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone (Optional)

Your Health Condition is... *

Are you currently in the care of a Physician?

Yes I am

Not at this time

Will be Contacting

If Yes, your Physician's name is...

Are you closer to Denver or Colorado Springs?

Denver

Colorado Springs

(clear)

Your Message *

Contact Information