Stroke

The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for stroke recovery is not a new idea. There are scientific articles dating back as far as 1965 that document the typical improvements that are seen when using HBOT following both acute and chronic strokes. A useful summary written by Dr. David A. Steenblock summarizes the history of treatment and research of the use of HBOT for stroke recovery.

Most recently in 2013, Dr. Shai Efrati published a study on stroke recovery using hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT.) The study is open source and freely available on the internet. A detailed analysis of the study and the current state of understanding of HBOT as a treatment for stroke is discussed in an article by Eschel Ben-Jacob.

Part of the challenge with conducting HBOT research is that it is difficult to conduct double-blind placebo controlled research because it is difficult to fool someone into believing they are receiving HBOT when they are not. Dr. Efrati utilized a crossover controlled study design, in which everyone received the treatment and everyone showed improvement!