Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
San Diego’s finest medical grade facility
Essential Medicine is San Diego's finest medical grade Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) facility. We follow state of the art Hyperbaric protocols based on cutting edge research in a serene setting with caring, emotionally attuned providers.
HBOT activates the body's own innate healing mechanisms and is incredibly effective for brain injury (TBI), dementia, cognitive decline, sports injuries, wound healing, surgical recovery, Long COVID, post-viral syndrome, and many other conditions. HBOT is gentle, safe and offers results that have transformed the lives of countless patients.
How does HBOT work?
Our hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) protocols are designed to stimulate healing and regeneration processes in the body. Under the effects of HBOT, your body is prompted into producing pluripotent stem cells and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as well as other healing substances. This is how HBOT allows the body to repair areas that are usually very slow and difficult to heal.
During a hyperbaric session you will be breathing in oxygen from a mask as the chamber is pressurized to 2 atmospheres, the equivalent of 33ft under water. Under this increased pressure, oxygen can dissolve directly into the fluids of your body, which cannot happen at sea level pressure. This allows your body to absorb up of 20x normal oxygenation levels. There is no other therapy that can oxygenate the body like HBOT.
Through a biological mechanism called an oxygen paradox, this increased oxygenation prompts the body to release pluripotent stem cells used for regeneration, growth, and healing. Your body will also create signaling chemicals that tell your body to produce new blood vessels (VEGF). Furthermore, the extra oxygen gives a metabolic boost of energy to carry out all the important cellular regeneration processes.
Find out about research proven uses of HBOT
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Brain Healing
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has been clinically shown to heal damaged brain tissue, promote the formation of new neurons and optimize circulation in the brain.
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DNA Repair
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is able to extend the length of DNA telomeres, effectively turning back the clock and returning you to a more youthful state.
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Long COVID Recovery
So many body systems and cellular processes are affected after enduring COVID-19. Hyperbaric is proving to be a leading therapy in the recovery of COVID post viral sequelae.
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Surgery & Traumatic Injury
The synergistic healing affects of hyperbaric are well suited to speed up healing time from traumatic injury and surgery.
FAQs
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The begin the process, you will first schedule an initial 1 hour consultation and exam. During your meeting with the physician, your healing goals will be addressed and the two of you will develop a treatment schedule that meets your needs.
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Our HBOT appts are scheduled in 90 minute time slots. We tend to start people with about 60 minutes in the chamber total and work toward approximately 80 minutes in the chamber.
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Patients tend to feel very relaxed during the session, often falling into a rejuvenating nap. Afterward, there is a feeling of vitality and energy that continues throughout the day. During the initial stages of the healing protocol, there is usually some fatigue that sets in later as your body goes into repair mode.
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Modern HBOT researchers have found that a course of 40-60 sessions is what is needed to maximize the healing effects of this therapy. This is especially true with brain healing as your body requires repetitive signaling to create significant growth and rejuvenation of brain tissue and blood vessels.
Shorter courses of 10-20 sessions can be very effective for soft tissue or bone injuries or surface wound healing (such traumatic injury or surgical recovery).
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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is incredibly safe and gentle, which is one of the reasons we are so committed to this technology at Essential Medicine.
Your ears need to be effectively equalized while the chamber is pressurized and some minor ear discomfort can be possible when first starting the therapy. This usually resolves completely after the first few treatments.
The Physician will examine your ears to check for any potential problems during the initial exam and during each session your HBOT technician will adjust the rate of pressure to accommodate any difficulties clearing your ears.
Sometimes, especially during the first 10 sessions or so, patients will find themselves fatigued after a session as the body ramps up its healing processes. This fatigue is very normal and usually well tolerated.
There are a small percentage of people who have temporary vision changes during extensive hyperbaric treatment protocols, however their vision returns once they are finished with the course of treatment.
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Please wear soft, loose fitting clothes to maximize your comfort during the session. Sweat pants and a comfortable shirt with a sweatshirt is an ideal outfit. The chamber is climate controlled inside, so you do not need to worry about being too hot. You can choose to keep jewelry on or take it off.
From Dr. Jools C.
“I went through a course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) after suffering a severe concussion with extreme hemorrhaging following an aerial fall headfirst into concrete in 2022. I was blown away by the power of this chamber! This was my 5th concussion, and with that kind of history of traumatic brain injuries, I had never experienced anything that brought me this level of enhanced cognitive functioning. I’m now thinking & remembering more clearly than I was before the concussion. Because I was able to start treatment immediately, it spared me most of the sequelae of awful symptoms. And it rapidly healed all of the facial bruising and scar tissue around the stitches! I was blessed enough to be back to treating my own patients 3 days later. HBOT was a life saver! ”
From Andrew D.
