I am pleased to announce a year-long focus on the various uses of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in the pages of Exceptional Parent Magazine and on our new, expanded website. This focus will include editorial contributions from well recognized physicians, clinicians and scientists along with embedded videos and a series of Ask the Expert interactions where our readers, therapists, physicians, athletes, coaches and trainers can interact with experts in the field of HBOT. As always, all editorial content will be reviewed and evaluated for objectivity and credibility by Exceptional Parent and select members of our Editorial Advisory Board. Our goal remains to expand the knowledge base of families caring for children and adults with disabilities and special needs and make people more informed about the uses of HBOT in the treatment of various conditions.
Some thoughts about HBOT
Dr. John Polanyi, Nobel Prize laureate remarked, “For science must breathe the oxygen of freedom.”
His insight was certainly worthy of the most respected scientific prize. Oxygen is life sustaining as is “freedom” as a needed element in the pursuit of science. Freedom is the vehicle in which most of our scientific breakthroughs have been made. The “freedom” to go down rabbit holes, investigate dead ends and revisit beliefs that have been previously rejected and even ridiculed.
The use of hyperbaric oxygen (HBOT) as a treatment modality for conditions that have not yet been approved by the FDA and for disorders that mainstream medical research has long declared as deriving no benefit from HBOT still raises eyebrows from both sides of the clinical aisles. Exceptional Parent Magazine has a long and revered tradition of providing information to the disability community for the sole purpose of asking the question, “Can this help my child.” “Can this help my husband or wife”. We take that role very seriously and over the years have been criticized for promoting “sham science”, raising the false hope of parents and even negating evidence based practice. To those critics we respond that our obligation has been and continues to be conduits for information. It is hard to negate the reports of parents (including parents who also happen to be researchers, scientists, therapists and clinicians) who have reported positive outcomes in a variety of disorders that have been treated with HBOT. Many of these were personally witnessed by EP. Most mainstream medical journals that have studied the use of “out of indication” HBOT treatment conclude with this familiar statement, “The routine application of HBOT to these patients cannot be justified from this review.”
At times mainstream medicine gives the impression that HBOT has not been approved by the FDA for any intervention and that, of course is completely inaccurate. Indeed, there are fourteen FDA indications for the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy:
HBOT for Air or Gas embolism HBOT for Intracranial Abscess
HBOT for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning HBOT for Osteomyelitis
HBOT for Gas Gangrene HBOT for Crush Injury
HBOT for Decompression Sickness HBOT for Thermal Brain Injury
HBOT for Arterial Insufficiencies HBOT for Severe Anemia
HBOT for Delayed Radiation Injury HBOT for Idiopathetic Sudden Sensorial
HBOT for Compromised Skin Grafts Hearing Loss and Flaps
In EP’s year-long information and education effort, we will explore the benefits and risks of HBOT in a number of areas: Sports and Hyperbarics, especially with respect to concussions and head trauma but also with athletes recovering from sprains and strains, tears and bone fractures; Diabetes and Hyperbarics and how this therapy has contributed to improved blood chemistry and decreased cardiovascular risk; Inflammation & Hyperbarics, particularly in the area of decreasing acute and chronic inflammation, minimizing pain and discomfort and relieving soft tissue and joint inflammation; Stroke Prevention and Stroke Recovery; Cerebral Palsy and improved cognitive function, improved fine and gross motor skills, balance and walking; HBOT and Autism and much more. In this effort, we will draw upon the knowledge and experiences of physicians and scientists as well as families and caregivers providing our readers with an objective independent perspective on the use of HBOT as adjunctive therapy for several major conditions affecting large segments of our population.
For parents of children and adults with significant, complex and life changing conditions there is nothing that resembles, “routine,” and it is with that understanding and reflection that EP will continue to provide the special needs community with information intended to be shared with clinicians, therapists, researchers and advocates…..”sharing of information”; the scientific equivalent of the oxygen of freedom.
Rick Rader, MD Joseph M. Valenzano, Jr
Editor in Chief President CEO & Publisher
Exceptional Parent Exceptional Parent
