Dr. Paul Harch, MD is arguably North America's leading hyperbaric physician. He has extensive knowledge and experience in the field, he has been instrumental in the acceptance of new and investigational indications by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) and is published both in the literary and scholarly arena. The new edition of his book 'Oxygen Revolution' has been updated with information on TBI and PTSD and can be purchased at our facility for $20, taxes included.
Dr. Paul Harch is the champion of HBOT for PTSD and TBI in vets. His study is published online for all to see:
While the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for the treatment of TBI and PTSD in war veterans is gaining much attention of late, the use of HBOT in TBI is not a new idea. Dr. Paul Harch explains the
chrological American history of the use of HBOT for TBI.
The experience outside the USA is also considerable.
Celebrity doctors like Dr. Phil McGraw and even Canada's Dr. Goldman, (of CBC's White Coat Black Art) are starting to spread the word about HBOT for TBI and PTSD in vets. Clinics around the world are reproducing the results found in Dr. Harch's study.
In Canada, the experience treating TBI with HBOT is predominantly clinical and anecdotal at private facilities. TBI is treated outside the medical system and there is no research funding allocated to it. This has allowed the treatments to be relatively affordable and has attracted clients to Canadian hyperbaric facilities from the USA and around the world.
Prior to the invasion of Iraq and Afganistan, TBI treated with HBOT in Canada was predominantly as a result of serious car accidents. One remarkable story of recovery from TBI using HBOT is the story of Michael Coss. Michael has written a book to tell his story.
Since the research by Dr. Harch, MD. there have been two US Veteran Affairs funded studies that have revealed more information on the proper application of HBOT in TBI or post-concussion syndrome. The first study, by Wolf, revealed that a series of HBOT at 2.4 ATA was no better than a series of pressurized air sessions at 1.3 ATA (equivalent to a bag chamber with no oxygen.) This poorly designed study utilized pressures that are not appropriate for brain injury recovery. Furthermore, the "sham" treatment purported to be a placebo control, has physiological effects and is not suitable as a control. Dr. Paul Harch addresses these concerns in his article titled, "Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Post-Concussion Syndrome: Contradictory Conclusions from a Study Mischaracterized as Sham-Controlled." Dr. Scott Sherr also explains the controversy in his blog post "Concusion Treatment - HBOT's Efficacy Under Pressure." Dr. Kenneth Stoller poignantly explains some of the historical bias against HBOT in this context in his article titled, "All the right moves: the need for the timely use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for treating TBI/CTE/PTSD."
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