United States: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has proved to have benefits for patients diagnosed with PTSD who have not benefited from other approaches.
Specifically, using HBOT for combat veterans reduced flashbacks, irritability, and increased hypervigilance but showed that it improved brain connectivity identified through FMRI scanning.
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The innovative system, developed after spending more than a decade, involves 60 sessions of breathing in pure oxygen at a certain high pressure.
The ideas coalescing around HBOT supplying a manner for “healing the biological wound” related to PTSD open up a novel line of consideration.
What more do the experts state?
Scientists also explain that treatment should involve professional teams in specialized hyperbaric centers.
It may be a benefit to millions experiencing PTSD throughout the world.
Addressing the challenges of PTSD treatment, researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at the Shamir Medical Center have found that HBOT can enhance the condition of people with PTSD who received inadequate results from psychotherapy or psychiatric drugs.
As per the team of researchers, “Our unique therapeutic protocol affects the biological brain ‘wound’ associated with PTSD and effectively reduces typical symptoms such as flashbacks, hypervigilance, and irritability. We believe that our findings give new hope to millions of PTSD sufferers and their families all over the world,” neurosciencenews.com reported.
Moreover, as Prof. Efrati described, “Due to our unfortunate circumstances, Israel has become a global leader in the field of PTSD. Before the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, approximately 6,000 IDF veterans had been recognized as PTSD sufferers, with many others, both soldiers and citizens, not yet acknowledged by the authorities.”
“Following October 7 and the ensuing war, these numbers have risen sharply. Tens of thousands of soldiers, and much larger numbers of civilians, are likely to be diagnosed with PTSD,” he added.
“The Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine, the largest of its kind in the world, is rising to the challenge—with a comprehensive therapeutic array comprising hyperbaric facilities combined with diverse mental health professionals, psychologists, and psychiatrists. At present, we treat hundreds of PTSD sufferers every day, aiming to reach one thousand patients per year,” he continued.