Migraines
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has shown to drastically reduce the occurrences of migraines. It reduces pain caused by inflammation from enlarged or dilated blood vessel in the brain. It also helps the body regulate hormones and stress, improves sleep quality, and reduces muscle pain from tension headaches.
Patient with chronic migraines since childhood
"I used to have 3-4 migraines a month, which was pretty normal. Since I stared hyperbaric a year ago, I've only have 4-5 mild headaches that went away with a small dose of ibuprofen.""
JoAnna L.
Heading Away from Brain Pain
Migraines are headaches of varying intensity and affect different areas of the brain from person to person. Patients usually describe the pain as “throbbing” or “pulsing” and can be accompanied by visual changes (auras), nausea, vomiting, weakness or loss of mobility in limbs, inability to communicate, and extreme sensitivity to light. Migraine attacks may last for several hours or days. Severe migraines may interfere with a patient’s ability to participate in daily tasks. These attacks can be chronic for some patients and may flare on a regular basis.
While the exact cause of migraines is still under investigation, researchers believe it is due to a combination of genetic variances and environmental triggers. Enlarged or dilated blood vessels in the brain are a common trigger for headaches and migraines. Patients may experience more frequent or intense migraines when they are stressed, overexert themselves, eat certain foods, or when barometric pressure changes occur in the area they live. Science has found that dysfunction in hormones and neurotransmitters may also play a role in the occurrence of migraines.
The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for acute migraines has been fairly studied over the years. A treatment in a hyperbaric chamber during a migraine has been clinically shown to quickly alleviate symptoms for many patients. The increased pressure from a treatment may act similarly to migraine medications by causing vasoconstriction in the brain, stopping the excessive blood flow thought to trigger symptoms. Current evidence as to whether hyperbaric therapy can prevent or lessen migraine attacks is mostly anecdotal. It is believed that hyperbaric therapy’s proven effectiveness at positively influencing 8,101 genes may play a role in balancing inflammation and hormone regulation within the brain, potentially lessening migraine occurrences.
Patient with chronic migraines since childhood
"I used to have 3-4 migraines a month, which was pretty normal. Since I stared hyperbaric a year ago, I've only have 4-5 mild headaches that went away with a small dose of ibuprofen.""
JoAnna L.
Migraine and Hyperbarics: Studies, Articles and Videos
Hyperbaric Oxygen in the Treatment of Migraine with Aura
Abstract
Cephalalgia is one of the most common medical complaints and the search continues for relief. Early treatments for migraine included inhalation of 100% oxygen. It has been theorized that the increased levels of oxygen in the blood act as an alpha-adrenergic agent to alleviate headache pain through vasoconstriction and local metabolic effects. The presence of muscle tenderness during some migraine headaches has also been established. The purpose of this study was to document relief of cephalalgia through use of a visual analog pain scale, algometry, and manual palpation. Female subjects with confirmed migraine were randomly assigned to begin with either the control (100% oxygen, no pressure) or hyperbaric treatment (100% oxygen, pressure). Manual palpation and algometry of 10 sites were done, bilaterally, by a trained specialist. Pain was evaluated with a visual analog scale. Resolution of tenderness and edema following both treatments was observable by manual palpation while algometry showed no differences between the two. Subjective pain was significantly decreased following hyperbaric oxygen treatment but not following the control treatment. Results suggest that hyperbaric oxygen treatment reduces migraine headache pain and that the patient’s subjective assessment was the best indicator of relief.
A Preliminary Report on Hyperbaric Oxygen in the Relief of Migraine Headache
Daniel E. Myers DDS, MS Roy A. Myers MDFirst published: April 1995
Abstract
Oxygen inhalation was early advocated as a treatment for migraine headache. It has been theorized that the efficacy of raising blood oxygen levels in vascular headache is mediated by vasoconstriction and metabolic effects. Hyperbaric oxygen can provide a much greater level of blood oxygenation than can provide a much greater level of blood oxygenation than normobaric oxygen, and in recent studies it has been used in the treatment of cluster headache. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of hyperbaric oxygen and normobaric oxygen in migraine. Twenty migraineurs were divided randomly into two groups and studied in a hyperbaric chamber during a typical headache attack. Global headache severity was measured by a verbal descriptor scale before and after exposure to oxygen. One group received 100% oxygen at 1 atmosphere of pressure (normobaric) while the other received 100% oxygen at 2 atmospheres of pressure (hyperbaric). One of the 10 patients in the normobaric group achieved significant relief of headache symptoms, while 9 of 10 in the hyperbaric group found relief. Based on a chi-square test, this difference is significant at the P < .005 level. Those patients who did not find significant relief from normobaric oxygen were given hyperbaric oxygen as above. All nine found significant relief. The results suggest that hyperbaric (but not normobaric) oxygen may be useful in the abortive management of migraine headache. Possibilities for the mechanism of this effect, in addition to vasoconstriction, include an increase in the rate of energy-producing and neurotransmitter-related metabolic reactions in the brain which require molecular oxygen.
To Read Full Study, Click Here
See Testimonial Videos Of Patients' Experiences
Lifelong Migraines - Gone
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has helped this patient:
✅Migraines/headaches, less intense, less of them
✅Pain relief
✅Recovery from exercise and injury
✅Helps with achy joints from aging
✅Boundless energy, feel vibrant!
✅More mental clarity, less overwhelmed
✅Relaxation, less anxious and stressed
About Our "Stronglife" Hyperbaric Oxygen Clinic
About Dr. AJ Ludlow, DPT
About Dr. AJ Ludlow, DPT
Dr. AJ Ludlow is passionate about finding the most innovative ways to keep his patients from being in pain and struggling with debilitating disease for years. He wants to bring the best medical technology the world can offer to the state he loves and the people he wants most to help.
A California native, but has lived a total of 15+ years in Utah between receiving his undergraduate at Brigham Young University and his doctorate at the University of Utah, he now calls Utah his home!
He has traveled and researched extensively to find the most effective solutions for injury and pain. What someone would have once had to travel outside the US for, is now available right here in Provo, UT.
A California native, but has lived a total of 15+ years in Utah between receiving his undergraduate at Brigham Young University and his doctorate at the University of Utah, he now calls Utah his home!
He has traveled and researched extensively to find the most effective solutions for injury and pain. What someone would have once had to travel outside the US for, is now available right here in Provo, UT.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of hyperbaric chamber do you use?
We use soft chambers that reach 1.3 atmospheres of pressure. This is considered mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy and has several advantages over hard chambers. When it comes to pressure with HBOT, more is not necessarily better. Most chronic or non-emergency conditions respond better to lower pressures. You still get a healing dose of oxygen and pressure without the higher risks that come with higher pressure chambers. It is much more affordable than hard chamber sessions and it is even available for home use for those who have a hard time coming into the office for the recommended number of treatments.
Am I a good candidate if my Doctor doesn’t think it will help?
A study found that 75% of medical schools offer little to no education on hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Most doctors have very limited understanding of hyperbarics. A practitioner with specialized knowledge of hyperbaric oxygen therapy will be better suited to answer your questions. When you consider how safe, natural and powerful hyperbarics can be, it is worth doing more research and seeking a second opinion from a knowledgeable practitioner. Many doctors who do educate themselves on hyperbaric oxygen therapy end up being very supportive and even change their practice of medicine to offer it.
How does hyperbaric oxygen therapy help?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy delivers up to 3x the normal amount of oxygen throughout the body. This helps with healing, reducing inflammation, energy production, digestion, detoxification, concentration, recovery, etc. Many parts of the body do not receive sufficient oxygen, are damaged, or “turned off” because of an illness, or injury. For example tendons do not receive as much blood flow as muscles and are often more likely to be injured or strained. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy gets more oxygen to all parts of the body, reawakening cells, such as brain cells after a stroke, or heart cells after a heart attack. It gives the body a huge advantage to heal, repair and regenerate itself. As a result of the increased oxygen, the part of every cell in your body that produces energy (mitochondria) becomes stronger and more efficient, many negative symptoms from health conditions and aging disappear, and you have more energy and mental clarity. The more sessions you do, the more these changes become permanent. It positively affects your DNA and can turn some negative DNA markers off and turn positive ones on. For example, eliminating many allergic reactions and even putting some diseases into remission.
Does insurance cover hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is FDA approved, covered by insurance, for 14 conditions, even though many other conditions benefit from this treatment. It is used for over 200 different conditions in other countries with extensive research supporting its use. If hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used for any condition other than the 14 approved conditions it will be considered “off label’ and therefore not covered by insurance companies. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a regenerative treatment and insurance companies, unfortunately, have a bad track record of covering regenerative medicine. The FDA approved conditions are: air embolism, gas embolism, acute traumatic ischemia, burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke inhalation, diabetic foot ulcers, exceptional blood loss, decompression sickness, gas gangrene, necrotizing infections, severe anemia, skin grafts and flaps and wound healing. If you have one of the FDA approved conditions it is recommended that you seek care at a facility that can bill insurance for the treatment.
Is hyperbaric oxygen safe?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is extremely safe, especially the type offered at Stronglife. Our chamber goes to 1.3 ATM which is the equivalent pressure of being 10 feet under water. We also provide supplemental oxygen directly to you through a nasal cannula instead of pressurizing the entire chamber with 100%. This means there is no risk of oxygen toxicity and no risk of a small spark causing a fire or explosion, with higher pressure and higher oxygen levels the risks go up.
The main risk with any form of hyperbaric oxygen treatment is the (small) risk of damage to the ear drums. While the chamber is being pressurized, you will notice pressure building in the ears (similar to when on a plane or when under water). It is important to be able to equalize the pressure in your ears by yawning, pinching your nose and swallowing or pinching your nose while yawning. Most people are easily able to equalize the pressure. We will be standing by the whole time to assist with the process, and can pause the chamber or release pressure for those few who have a difficult time.
While the majority of people notice they feel better after their HBOT session, there is at times a detox reaction also known as a Herxheimer reaction. This can result in flu-like symptoms including body aches, mild fever, fatigue, nausea or other symptoms. This is caused when harmful microorganisms die off and move towards elimination in the body. While this can be an unpleasant experience it is actually a good thing because the treatment is helping the body excrete these harmful mircoorganisms from the body like Lyme bacteria, Epstein-Barr Virus, mold toxins and others. After several treatments these symptoms will fade and are replaced by higher energy levels and a greater feeling of wellbeing.
Does hyperbaric oxygen therapy interact with medications:
Very few medications are of concern (listed below).
Bleomycin
Cisplatin
Doxorubicin
Sulfamylon
Disulfiram
Mafernide Acetate
Can I do hyperbaric oxygen therapy if I am claustrophobic:
Yes, we are standing by the entire time to turn off the chamber and let you out at a moment's notice. We have had many claustrophobic patients do the full treatment reporting afterwards that they had a pleasant experience and felt quite relaxed. The hyperbaric oxygen stimulates a relaxation response in the body, and most just read, use their phones or take a nap. Most are also surprised by how roomy the chamber feels on the inside.
What does it feel like to do hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
When asked, patients relate that it is a very relaxing experience. Before you get in we recommend using the bathroom. Then you remove any sharp objects from your pockets and remove your shoes. You climb into the chamber, it is on a platform, for those who have a hard time getting down on the floor. You will have an oxygen tube feeding oxygen directly to your nose.You lie down and relax on a thick pad and pillows. In the first 5 minutes the chamber comes up to pressure during which time you clear your ears multiple times, like when you are on an airplane or going over a summit while driving. After that, you’ll hear fresh air coming in and going out, like white noise. Many patients can sit up if they choose, but most prefer to lay down and relax. The last 5 minutes when it is depressurizing, you can feel some mild pressure on your ears, but most don’t even need to clear or “pop” their ears. Once it has depressurized, we unclasp it and you climb out. Most patients say they feel very relaxed afterward, “like walking on a cloud all day, “ chronic pain patients have told us, “it was the first time in months I wasn’t in pain.” There is no downtime, no need to take off work, you can immediately resume your normal activities.
Are there times it is not advised to do hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
For the following situations, it is not recommended.
Untreated Pneumothorax (punctured lung)
Serious sinus congestion
Sickle Cell Anemia
High Fever
Hereditary Spherocytosis
COPD
Pregnancy
For any questions not addressed here please call or text us, we are happy to answer your specific questions regarding your unique health concerns.
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