Over the last six months I have been doing a lot of reading about hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) being used to treat fibromyalgia. You are probably wondering what hyperbaric oxygen therapy is… here is a quick run down on the concept. HBOT involves breathing 100% pure oxygen in a hyperbaric chamber. While in the chamber the air pressure is raised to a higher than normal pressure level. Raising the air pressure in the chamber allows a person’s lungs to collect more oxygen. Normal air we breath only consists of 21% oxygen levels. Oxygen is necessary for our body’s tissues to function. Sooo… how does HBOT help fibromyalgia?!

There have been many studies completed on HBOT and fibromyalgia. A 2015 clinical study was conducted to determine if hyperbaric oxygen therapy can diminish fibromyalgia symptoms. Patients were evaluated at baseline ( before HBOT treatments), after a control period of no treatment and after HBOT treatments. Each individual was evaluated physically which included tender points and pain threshold, evaluations on quality of life and SPECT scan which evaluated brain activity. The study revealed that there had been improvements of all fibromyalgia symptoms and improvement in quality of life. The SPECT imaging revealed that the brain’s hyperactivity in areas of the brain decreased in pain related areas of fibromyalgia patients. Read about the study here.

In 2022, 9 studies were compiled together for review to compare data on HBOT treatment on fibromyalgia. A total of 288 patients were included in this review. Again the results showed that HBOT could relieve the pain in fibromyalgia patients compared to the control intervention. The treatments helped improve tender points, fatigue, multidimensional function and sleep disturbances. Read the full study here.

What are the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for fibromyalgia?

1. Known to lower chronic pain levels.

2. Known to diminish nerve pain.

3. Increases oxygen levels throughout the body, thus increasing blood flow to areas on the body.

4. Has been shown to improve brain function and cognitive abilities.

5. Decreases inflammation and swelling.

6. Increases the body’s ability to fight toxins that can build up in cells and cause damage.

There may be many other benefits, but for my blog these are the ones I chose to list.

There are also risks involved in using hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

1. Ear pressure or popping feeling in the ears due to higher air pressure in the chamber.

2. The therapy can cause lightheadedness and fatigue. These are normal side effects and should reside shortly after treatment.

3. Due to changes in air pressure treatment could possibly irritate the sinus. The pressure can cause the sinuses to become inflammed.

4. “Tooth squeeze” can result from the pressure changes. It can cause pain in the teeth.

5. Eye pain and pressure. Research states therapy can cause possible change to the shape of the lens of the eye. These changes are temporary and rarely permanent.

More serious complications include

1. Lung damage

2. Ruptures middle ear. My research stated that this is more common due to the pressure.

3. Oxygen poisoning. There are specific directions to preventing this from happening. Prolonged exposure and very rare.

The complications sound scary, but with proper protocols being followed, side effects are often short lived and begin to correct themselves after resting.

Read more about the possible complications here.

Please note not everyone will be a match for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Certain health issues or conditions make it too risky for therapy to take place. I won’t list all the conditions here as I do not know the entirety of the list. For example, many articles stated people with COPD should not use HBOT therapy.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used for many other conditions. It is also known to slow dementia progression, help heal skin grafts, help recover from traumatic brain injuries and even improve carbon monoxide poisoning. It is no surprise that HBOT can possibly help fibromyalgia. If I was given the opportunity to try hyperbaric oxygen therapy I would – after all it is less invasive then adding more prescriptions.