Spastic Diplegia Parents Network

Cerebral palsy, also diagnosed as spastic diplegia, is a debilitating condition that people can be born with or develop over time until about age three. It can limit a person’s motor skills and make movements clumsy or uncoordinated, and it has also been known to cause spasms and balance problems. While some have accepted that cerebral palsy is untreatable, others have researched the many benefits of using hyperbaric oxygen chambers to reduce and eliminate some symptoms.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) concentrates oxygen, which is pressurized at a higher level than regular atmospheric pressure. While the patient spends time in the chamber simply breathing and relaxing, oxygen enters the tissue and bloodstream in the body easily, so that red blood cells and plasma are able to transport oxygen more efficiently. For patients with cerebral palsy, hbot may help restore brain cells in the cerebrum, the affected area. The treatment may also be able to reduce swelling and extra fluids in the brain.

Studies conducted in 2001 about the effects of hbot on child cerebral palsy patients show that the children were aided more by the hyperbaric therapy than children who were tested with other treatments or no treatment. The hbot was more able to restore motor function in the children, and they were able to continue therapy longer because of its success.

However, cerebral palsy patients are not the only ones benefitting from hbot. Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments are becoming commonplace for helping children with autism, patients with wounds or internal injuries, those who have suffered from stroke, and people with multiple sclerosis. Even athletes use the chambers just to maintain their health during training. Doctors have not yet begun to prescribe hbot regularly, but studies have shown in many cases they are the best option available for fast and dramatic results.

Some hyperbaric chambers are portable and easy to use in your own home, while others can be accessed in a doctor’s office and may fit up to three or four people. Even if you rent a chamber for the duration of the treatments, it may be easier to monitor the therapy in the comfort of your own home. Consider researching hyperbaric chambers to see if they could be the right solution for someone close to you. Since all patients are different and will react differently to hbot, contact your doctor before you or someone you love who has cerebral palsy tries a hyperbaric chamber.