Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Now Available
Apex 32 Soft Chamber
State of the Art Technology
1.5 ATA mild hyberbaric oxygen therapy
Comfortable , Friendly, Soft Chamber Design
mHBOT
What is mHBOT?
Mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a safe and natural treatment that creates a pressurised, oxygenated environment to help speed up the rate of healing for many conditions.
The units used to describe the pressure (ATA) are relative to normal atmospheric pressure at sea level (1 ATA = 1 atmospheric pressure).
At Wellness Hub Ōkato our chamber provides 95% oxygen at 1.5 ATA (150% of sea level pressure). This delivers approximately 6 times the amount of oxygen that you would normally breathe when going for a vigourous six hour walk at the beach. (sea level).
The end result being to fill your blood plasma with enough oxygen to speed up the repair and recovery of tissues and help restore body function.
Is HBOT safe?
People have asked, “what about oxygen toxicity?” There have been very low incidences of oxygen toxicity (1 in 10,000) and these occur at the higher levels of pressure (and using bottled 100% oxygen at 2 ATA – 3 ATA or more). Our oxygen is provided from tested technology oxygen concentration process that concentrate the ambient air from 23% oxygen to 95% and delivers to your oxygen mask in the chamber.
Risk is minimised to near zero.
We provide 95% oxygen at 10 litres per minute in an 1.5 ATA environment.
How does HBOT work?
Normally oxygen we breathe into the lungs makes up 21% of the total gasses we inhale. The amount of oxygen we absorb into the blood in a normal atmospheric environment, is limited by how much oxygen can be carried by red blood cells. When the atmospheric pressure is increased, the oxygen molecules in the air we breathe become compressed (Boyle’s Law) and more soluble (Henry’s Law) so that oxygen can dissolve into the plasma, the fluid that carries red blood cells.
When we also increase the percentage of oxygen that we inhale, we can increase the amount of oxygen absorbed by the blood from 6 to 12 times that of what you normally breathe.
This is helpful as one of the main energy production mechanisms in the body is the mitochondria production of ATP. ATP is fuel for the cells of your body, and mitochondria utilise oxygen as their primary fuel to produce ATP.
When you have a wound or damaged area of small blood vessels (capillaries), red blood cells can not reach the cells that are damaged to provide the fuel (oxygen) needed to help repair. When there is more oxygen available in the plasma, oxygen can reach the area of damage much faster, and in higher concentration; therefore healing can occur at an accelerated rate.
mild Hyperbaric
Oxygen Therapy
Conditions and Research
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, CONCUSSION & STROKE
A traumatic brain injury or concussion can be a result of direct trauma to the head or a violent shaking of the head and body. A stroke is brain damage as a result of an interruption in blood supply called a cerebrovascular event. Both these conditions are similar in the way that an area of the brain is injured with a damaged blood supply. Although these events can have a good recovery, often the effects can be long-lasting affecting an individual's independence. mHBOT has been shown to assist with the regeneration of the essential blood vessels within the brain that are needed to restore brain function.
CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONS
These inflammatory conditions of the digestive system cause pain, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue and ulcers that can lead to bleeding, anaemia and in some cases increase the risk of colorectal cancer. HBOT has been shown to help in healing wounds and moderate the inflammation associated with these conditions, therefore decreasing the impact of the disease. Also inflammatory dermatological conditions such as eczema and psoriasis and atopic dermatitis
RADIATION & RADIOTHERAPY INJURY
including latent radiation conditions such as: radiation cystitis or proctitis; Radiation tissue injury after mastectomy; Dental problems or jawbone problems following head and neck surgery after cancer; Bowel problems or bleeding after colon cancer radiation; Personality changes after radiation therapy for brain cancer.
CHRONIC NON-HEALING WOUNDS
are commonly caused by an underlying disease such as infection, ischemia, metabolic conditions, immunosuppression and radiation. These can include wounds such as pressure sores and diabetic foot ulcers.
For some of the research on diabetic foot ulcers click here.
Also for crush injury, Sports connective tissue injury, sudden vision loss (a sign of cerebrovascular disease affecting vision, usually in one eye. In this event you should seek a doctor quickly. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been used to treat blindness or blurry vision that has come about due to a blocked artery) and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (hearing loss that can be without warning and lead to permanent deafness affecting usually one ear. It is important if you experience this that you seek a doctor quickly. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can improve recovery outcomes when used along with conventional therapies)
F A Q
What will I experience in a treatment?
Before you start your treatment there are a few questions that you will be asked to ensure that you are suitable for the treatment. Depending on your condition, an appointment with one of our providers may be advised.
Common information that we check is whether you have recently had any colds, flu or chronic congestion of sinuses and/or blocked ears. This can make it difficult to equalise the pressure in these hyperbaric spaces. Similar to the pressure changes when you fly in a plane or dive underwater, you may need to open your jaw or blow your blocked nose to equalise the pressure.
We will take you through the procedure as well as be present during the full pressurisation period of your initial session and all depressurisation periods. It is good for you to know that you will have instruction and full access to the controls from within the chamber, so you will be able to start, stop and depressurise the chamber yourself in the event you need to do so.
There will also be a communication device at your disposal within the chamber with a call button should you need to call for assistance at any time during your session.
Treatment profile estimates
The recommended duration, number and frequency of treatments you will require will depend on your condition and state of health, however the following is a sample guide to offer some idea of what you can expect, depending on the condition. Actual recommendations may differ.
Acute sprain or strain injury will depend on the severity of injury : 4-10 sessions.
Post surgical recovery : 2-3 sessions.
Chronic inflammatory conditions : 10-20 sessions for conditions such as Crohn’s disease, Irritaable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis and some inflammatory skin conditions.
Traumatic Brain Injury, Post-Concussion, Stroke : 40+ session, treatments should be part of a comprehensive integrative approach that includes diet and lifestyle aspects. An initial appointment with one of our wellness providers is recommended.
What are the costs
One-off session costs (GST inclusive)
A one-off 30-minute pre-treatment assessment costs $40
A 60-minute session in our mHBOT Soft Chamber costs $60.
A 90-minute session costs $80.
Series Pricing Rates Available Upon Consultation
There is also a "one-off" fee for your oxygen mask of $10 which you can bring to each session, or we can store for you at the hub.