“Timken’s Tank” was named after its benefactor, the “Baron of bearings” tycoon Henry H. Timken who bankrolled the $1,000,000 to build it. This unusual sphere was an early hyperbaric hospital. The monstrous steel ball was the pinnacle of over a decade of work by Dr. Orville Cunningham, one of the pioneers of hyperbaric therapy, but the idea of hyperbarics was much older.
In the 1880s, while constructing the Brooklyn Bridge, over 100 workers fell ill with a crippling “Caisson Disease” named for the high pressure underwater chambers they worked in to excavate the foundation of the bridge.
The Brooklyn Bridge’s caissons were large, bottomless, water tight, wooden boxes that were used to create the bridge’s foundations. They were towed into position in the East river and sunk to the riverbed. Compressed air was pumped into the caissons to keep water out, thus creating a dry workspace. Workers, often referred to as “sandhogs,” entered the caissons through air locks and dug away the riverbed muck an soil to reach bedrock. Once the work was done the caissons were filled with concrete becoming the bridge’s foundation.
With the increasing use of these caissons, an illness began to afflict the workers, earning the name caisson’s disease. After completing their shifts and resurfacing, these workers experienced dizzy spells, breathing difficulties and sharp pains in the head, joints and abdomen. This condition gained further notoriety during the construction of the New York’s subways as workers on the projects coined the name that remains in use today: the bends. It stems from the workers’ bent-over posture in excruciating pain as they resurfaced.
In 1878, Paul Bert, a French physiologist realized that breathing air under immense pressure infused the blood and tissues with nitrogen. When a worker emerged from the depths of the caisson back to the surface, the nitrogen created bubbles that coursed through the body culminating in pain, paralysis or even death.
It was during the construction of the subway tunnel under the Hudson river in 1879 that a hyperbaric recompression chamber came into use to ensure the safe return to the surface of those who toiled in the depths.
A Pioneer’s Vision: Cunningham Sanitarium
In 1918, as the Spanish Influenza epidemic swept through the land, Dr. Cunningham noticed that people living at higher elevations had a much higher mortality rate than those near sea level. His suspicion increased when he employed a hyperbaric chamber treatment method to revive a colleague on the brink of death due to restricted lung function.
News of Dr Cunningham’s work reached the ears of an industrial titan H.H. Timken. Intrigued by the potential for healing, Timken gifted Dr. Cunningham $1,000,000 (equivalent to $16,000,000 today) to construct an architectural marvel five stores tall and boasting a 64-foot diameter self contained hyperbaric sanitarium.
Life Without Blood
In 1959, scientists placed pigs in hyperbaric chambers, removing every trace of their blood and replacing it with saline solution. What unfolded was remarkable- the pigs not only survived but thrived due to the infusion of oxygen at a pressure of 3.0 PO2. The only visible difference was their pale complexion due to the absence of hemoglobin. Once the pigs were reinfused with their own blood and returned to the surface pressure, they lived happily ever after. This animal study shook the foundations of understanding. It revealed how under hyperbaric conditions, oxygen could dissolve directly into blood plasma, bypassing the need for RBC in hyperbaric environment.
When the Cunningham Sanitarium was in use, very little was known about the physiology of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. As a result, the AMA was critical of its benefits which eventually led to its closure.
Today research is revealing many positive physiological effect of HBOT. Below are listed a few of the scientifically proven benefits:
- Vasoconstriction – to control edema. Even though there is less blood flow the O2 in plasma increases oxygenation decreasing inflammation that contributes to edema.
- Increased oxygen perfusion
- Neovascularization – After 20 hours the body will start to regrown microcirculation.
- Stem Cells Release– Stem cells play a crucial role in repairing damaged tissues by differentiating into specialized cells that can replace lost or damaged tissue.
- Mitochondria adaptations– With HBOT mitochondria will grow and get larger increasing energy output.
- Immune system adaptations– There is an increase in WBCs and improved microbiome
- Natural antibiotic- HBOT is particularly effective against anaerobic bacteria, which thrive in low-oxygen environments.
- Natural anti-inflammatory– Inflammatory markers are decreased.
Given the above history, we see that the field of hyperbaric therapy is in it infancy. In the past five to ten years, interest has shifted from FDA-approved life threatening indications to ‘off label’ uses which target chronic issues that affect patient’s quality of life and functionality.
Below are the current insurance covered indications and the ‘off-label’ uses:
Current HBOT insurance covered indications
- Diabetic neuropathy
- Gangrene
- Radiation burns
- Air Embolism
- Crush injury
- Compartment syndrome
- Acute peripheral ischemia
- Decompression sickness
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Wound healing
- Exceptional blood loss
- Necrotizing infections
- Osteomyelitis
- Compromised skin graft
Current HBOT uses recognized internationally
- Dementia
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Chronic fatigue
- Lyme
- IBD
- Neuropathy
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Autism
- Hearing loss
- Post stroke
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Post surgical healing
- Cancer
Hyperbaric therapy will refine cellular energy, mitigate the effects of the early stages of cellular inflammation and prevent its buildup. It will boost our body’s capacity to heal from minor traumas, injuries, and stressors, ward off chronic inflammation and prevent the onset of chronic illnesses. Given HBOT’s benefits for mitigating chronic inflammatory illnesses, it can positively affect the number one risk factor for all chronic illnesses. As a result, it has the ability to reverse the effects of aging, revitalize bodies and improve regenerative capabilities.
In an effort to provide state of the art therapies to our patients, Renaissance Health Centre has recently purchased the OxyCell hyperbaric chamber that allows pressures to reach 2 ATA. The OxyPro Excel Chamber offers an unparalleled combination of comfort and advanced technology for hyperbaric therapy. Designed as a hard shell, with large double layered aircraft grade windows on both sides of the chamber to provide ambient light, visibility and claustrophobia-free comfort. The large transparent door allows easy entry/exit and visibility. This sitting-type chamber which includes red light therapy is made from high-quality stainless steel and aviation grade polycarbonate materials, to ensure performance, safety and durability.
Terry Pfau DO, HMD