Call Us: 423 661-4734 | Email: requests@comeandreason.com      
Traumatic Brain Injury and Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment

Traumatic Brain Injury and Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment

In 2015, the Will Smith film Concussion, which depicts Dr. Bennet Omalu’s struggle to uncover the truth about brain damage to football players, brought international attention to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and its long-term complications.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there were 2.87 million TBI-related emergency room visits in 2014 — and an estimated 817,000 children were treated for TBI-related head injuries.

While the brain sits inside the hard, bony case of the skull, it is soft, almost like a banana. This makes it vulnerable to rapid acceleration and deceleration injuries known as concussions, which occurs when the brain impacts the skull with sufficient force that it causes bruising. At each point of injury, local swelling, bleeding, and even neuronal death can occur.

Over the following hours and days, inflammation develops around the bruised area, just like injuries do elsewhere in the body. Since the skull is inflexible, the swelling pushes inward on the brain, reducing blood flow and extending the damage further across the brain adjacent to the injury and causing impairments over a much larger area; moreover, neurons in this expanded area may be damaged and unable to carry out their function. They may not die, but they will persist in an inactive or stunned state, basically not functioning for an indefinite period of time.

The immediate injury may cause loss of consciousness, or people may just feel stunned and lose track of what is happening around them. They also may have an initial headache and some confusion, which typically improves over the next several hours.

Long-term Consequences of TBI

Let’s now look at how TBI symptoms often develop after a concussion. As inflammation develops, more serious symptoms can increase, peaking over the next one to two weeks. These include headache; a confusion often described as “brain fog”; nausea; irritability, emotional lability; being overwhelmed easily; sensitivity to light and sound; impaired concentration, memory, and problems solving; difficulty multitasking; struggle with visual stimulation, such as processing information from computer or TV screens; and severe fatigue. These symptoms typically plateau and slowly improve over several months.

When brain scans reveal no gross destruction of brain matter, this type of injury is typically referred to as “mild” TBI. However, functional scans (PET, SPECT) will demonstrate impairment in blood flow and metabolism in the affected areas. These impairments in blood flow and neuronal activity may persist for years, resulting in chronic impairments of brain function with the associated symptoms described above.

These persistent symptoms can lead to further life problems, such as loss of job, relationship problems, loss of self-esteem or confidence, financial problems, mood dysregulation, and other mental health problems.

Common causes of TBI include anything that causes concussions, such as: falls — 48% of all head injuries are due to falls; being struck by or against an object — 17%, the second-most common cause; followed by motor-vehicle accidents. Other causes include bike accidents, sports injuries, and combat injuries, such being near concussive bomb blasts.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment

Recently, hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) has been demonstrated to provide marked improvement in people suffering with TBI, even years after their injuries occurred. HBOT is the use of oxygen at higher-than-atmospheric concentrations and pressures for the treatment of disease. HBOT was first used in the 1930s to treat decompression sickness in divers (commonly known as “the bends”) and currently has 13 FDA-approved uses, including: gas gangrene, air embolism, osteomyelitis, radiation necrosis, diabetic ulcers, and the aforementioned decompression sickness.

Current scientific evidence suggests that HBOT can permanently and dramatically improve symptoms of chronic TBI years after the initial head injury. Understanding the physiologic effects of HBOT gives insight as to its therapeutic benefits.

Breathing room air (21% oxygen or O2) at atmospheric pressure at sea level (1 atmosphere or 1ATM), about 97 percent of the total oxygen in the blood is bound to hemoglobin and 3 percent dissolved into the blood serum. By the time the oxygen diffuses through the tissues, into the cells, and reaches the mitochondria (energy producing organelles inside the cells), only trace amounts are available. HBOT’s main function is to temporarily super-saturate body tissues with oxygen. HBOT delivering 100-percent oxygen at 1.3 ATM increases dissolved oxygen in the serum by seven-fold. HBOT delivering 100-percent oxygen at 3.00 ATM increases dissolved oxygen in the serum by more than a factor of 15. Body tissues outside the circulation will thereby experience a commensurate increase in oxygen concentration.

A warning: If a hyper-oxygenated state is maintained for long periods, it will cause significant oxidative damage to the body tissues, undermining any health benefits. Long periods of HBOT are harmful. But short, 1-hour pulses of HBOT triggers a variety of healing processes without overwhelming the body’s antioxidant systems. Current known health-inducing responses from HBOT include stimulating powerful anti-inflammatory effect, reduction of edema, increased blood perfusion, new blood vessel growth, improved immune response, enhancement of the body’s antioxidant system, improved stem-cell activity from bone marrow, improved growth of neuronal axons, and modulation of thousands of genes involved in bodily healing.

Just as with any medicinal dosing, while the right dose can heal, too much medicine can harm. With TBI, too big a dose of HBOT will worsen the condition. Dose is determined by the pressure in the chamber and the time spent in the chamber. The higher-pressure treatment of 2.0 ATM is best for infections but will worsen TBI. After several decades of research, it has been determined that TBI is best treated with lower pressures and session time limits.

The recommended HBOT protocol for TBI is currently one or more blocks of 40, 1-hour sessions delivered at 1.3 or 1.5 ATM. Case reports of individuals who have suffered with post-TBI symptoms for decades, and who prior to treatment had SPECT scans showing decreased perfusion in multiple brain regions, found not only marked improvement in function, but SPECT scans after HBOT were normal.

After treatment, patients report improvement in concentration, emotional stability, ability to multitask, and memory.

HBOT is not FDA-approved for TBI treatment. This is due to the fact that it is not possible to develop a sham treatment for it and, thus, no placebo-controlled trials have been done to demonstrate its effectiveness over a placebo. Because HBOT is not FDA approved, insurance companies will typically not pay for it.

However, if you or someone you love has suffered with TBI and struggled with functional impairments, I recommend you speak with your healthcare provider about a trial of HBOT.

 

References:

  1. Goderez, B., Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Psychiatric Times, Vol. 36, Iss. 5, May, 28, 2019. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/tbi/treatment-traumatic-brain-injury-hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy
  2. Harch PG, Andrews SR, Fogarty EF, et.al. A phase I study of low-pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy for blast-induced post-concussion syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder. J Neurotrauma. 2012;29:168-185.
  3. Efrati S, Ben-Jacob E. How and why hyperbaric oxygen therapy can bring new hope for children suffering from cerebral palsy: an editorial perspective. Undersea Hyperbaric Med. 2014;41:71-74.
  4. Harch, P. Hyperbaric oxygen in chronic traumatic brain injury: oxygen, pressure, and gene therapy. Med Gas Res. 2015;5:9.
  5. Harch P, Mccullough V. The Oxygen Revolution. Hobart, NY: Hatherleigh Press; 2010.
  6. Mukherjee A, Raison M, Sahni T, et.al. Intensive rehabilitation combined with HBO2 therapy in children with cerebral palsy: a controlled longitudinal study. Undersea Hyperbaric Med. 2014;41:77-85.
  7. Harch PG, Fogarty EF. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for Alzheimer’s dementia with positron emission tomography imaging: a case report. Med Gas Res. 2018:8:181-184.
  8. Jain KK. Textbook of Hyperbaric Medicine. New York, NY: Springer International Publishing AG; 2017: 345-348.
Email me the blog whenever a new one is published.

Donate online, securely via PayPal using your credit or debit card (no PayPal account needed, unless you want to set up a monthly, recurring payment).


cancel recurring payment

 

Want to use zelle instead?
See how on our
Support and Donations page.

Upcoming Events

calendar

Testimonial Post Slider

Testimony 10

I personally download and listen to each of Come And Reason Ministries Bible study class lessons and PDF study notes to use when teaching my class. Really appreciate the class especially when Dr. Jennings is teaching. Thank God there are persons like him doing His work and traveling to share His beliefs.

B. L.M., North Plains, OR, USA

 

Testimony 40

I was brought up in a different faith and have been petrified my whole life of God. I believed that I would burn in hell for eternity. When I was 12 I started pursuing the things of this world, but for the next 45 years the Spirit was always calling me, as I knew there was a God through nature. I could see the vast sea of stars in the universe and knew there was something bigger out there. Five years ago, through a Revelation seminar, I was blessed to learn about God’s character and government.

Then I found Come and Reason Ministries and have come under some extreme pressure when I speak about the ministry. One time a member sent me an internet article titled “Whats wrong with Tim Jennings?” I asked her what she thought of it and she said “I don’t know, I didn’t read it.”

I have always wanted to find out for myself the truth about God, so I stayed with the Design Law construct and have been liberated to understand the big picture. Once we consider Design Law, all other Bible stories and prophecies seem to fit perfectly. It is truly beautiful to see people grasping how God operates this Universe of Love and the liberation it has provided in their lives. It blows my mind to see how consistent Design law is with what our founders believed. I hear statements like “This makes so much sense.”

Tom W., Mt. Pleasant, MI, USA

 

Testimony 29

Thank you for all of your work to correct misconceptions about God’s character. So many people that my husband and I have talked to seem to be against the natural law construct and view it as “errant” and “dangerous.” Having learned more about it through your blogs and lessons, I don’t really understand why they view it that way, except that it means they have to relearn theology they have known for their entire lives. But I’m so excited to relearn this. For the past few years I have been questioning how I could trust a God who punishes arbitrarily and is full of wrath for those who don’t obey His commands. That view made me afraid to “mess up” or “not be good enough,” even within my relationship with God. I really appreciated the point you bring out about God not wanting us to serve Him because we are afraid, but because we love Him.

Melissa H., IN, USA

 

Testimony 15

I have been sharing Come And Reason Ministries Bible study lessons with several folk. You have such a beautiful view of the plan of salvation. If we had this message preached when I was young, my generation would still all be in church.

H. R., New Zealand

Testimony 26

Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

Nancy S.

 

Testimony 3

My husband is a pastor and I listen to your lesson almost every week. Thank you for helping me in my study life and to help me love the “real” God more.

C. F., NC, USA

 

Testimony 18

The Healing the Mind DVD set tarted me on a journey that has changed my relationship with our loving God more significantly than any other study, and brought me to your book and Bible study podcasts, which I now listen to daily, thanks to the availability of archived content on your site and on iTunes.

Anonymous

 

Testimony 62

I would like to express my thanks to the C&R team for creating a platform from which people can learn to trust in God and grow. My life is a witness to the effectiveness of this ministry. Without believing the truth about God as you have shown, I don’t know what my life would be like. I had given up on God helping me with certain sins – it was all useless. Given that the scripture is clear and God is so good, how could I have betrayed him so many times? I was a yo-yo christian; spinning up and down. My faith and enthusiasm was driven by discoveries/threats that prophecy is about to be fulfilled. But when I watched your “Healing the Mind” seminar, it was like a light finally went on. I could see God had no plan to hurt me, the danger came from sin, and that He is working to protect me and strengthen me. Thank you for allowing God to use you. The message God gave C&R saved my life!

Antony N. – Hobart, Australia

 

Testimony 9

I really enjoy with you the view of a gracious God. Thank you for sharing the work you are allowing the Lord to do in you.

L., Queensland, Australia

 

Testimony 71

When I was 9 years old, I remember setting at our devotional table with a hunger and thirst for God that wanted more, deeper, BETTER. I can remember literally crying and pounding on the table, “I know these teachers didn’t mean to give us error. They taught what THEY had been TAUGHT, but didn’t ANYBODY READ THE BOOK?!?!?” It mattered to me then. It mattered to me as a teenager. It matters now as I teach bible classes. It didn’t have to be so hard as I watched so many give up and lay God’s great plan and gift of salvation aside as being “impossible.” Then, a friend sent me a link to Come And Reason’s website. I grew excited. YES! FINALLY! Then another friend told me to stay away, saying her son had just broken up with a girl because she was involved with Come And Reason and that “Tim Jennings preaches a false gospel.” But, AFTER many years of developing an authentic and, dare I say FUN relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit I see this message has been around a LONG time, since the apostle Paul, Ellen White, Graham Maxwell, Ray Foucher, and yourself (though I admit, you’ve made me back up, rewind and replay the clips, and get out my well-worn Bible on a few things.) I’m so thankful I have found LIGHT during these DARK days. I am not alone.

Vicki DiNitto

Testimony 39

[This ministry is the] biggest blessing I have ever received! Your DVDs and lessons could not have come at a better time in my life. I have experienced in the past year many difficulties that, if it wasn’t for this wonderful view of God that I have discovered through this ministry, I would not have been able to respond in love and forgiveness. My heart is being transformed everyday by the Calvary-looking God you teach. Hallelujah!! I have tears in my eyes as I write, because my life has taken a complete turn from where I was heading.

I am from Central America. Most of my family is scattered in different parts of the world and all have the same view of God that I had growing up; a distant, exacting, and ready-to-punish-us-with-tragedy type of God. So, I have been translating lessons for my family and, to my surprise, they have also been sharing them with others! I can already see the difference. My brother has often said, “Thank you for sharing, I have never heard it this way!” My other family members are taking an amazing turn from a message of “repent or burn” towards a loving God, pleading to us that we won’t reject him because he loves us eternally.

Bless you for all you do.

Sofia S., Ashfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 66

I am incredibly grateful for the transformative impact you’ve had on my life, and words cannot fully express my appreciation. Over the years, I have been an avid listener and follower of C&R and extend my heartfelt thanks for creating the C&R mobile app. It has allowed me to immerse myself in your lessons repeatedly, enabling me to grasp the profound significance about the Character of God, Design Law, the protocols for life, the reasons behind the current chaos, and Christ’s mission to restore everything. They have deeply touched me. Having studied with various churches, I came away with the perception that God is no different from the deities of ancient Greek or Roman mythology—demanding sacrifices and taking pleasure in bloodshed. Thanks to your transformative teachings, I have experienced a profound awakening to the true nature of God and the immense power of His love. It is truly a remarkable and liberating sensation to finally grasp the truth and embrace the empowering nature of God’s laws. My self-perception has become brighter and more infused with love. My journey of growth continues on a daily basis.

Chris P., Lake Mary, FL, USA

 

Testimony 56

I cannot thank you enough for opening my understanding to the beautiful truth of God’s Law of Love and how it applies to everything. I have been a Christian for over forty years, but I feel like I am only now seeing with my eyes open. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

Tammy Cinzio, Australia

 

Testimony 8

Thank you for the ministry you are sharing with us, it is a real blessing to us and especially to my husband and myself! You are encouraging us to think for ourselves and not just to except everything, without thinking it through, with God’s word!

M.K., USA

 

Testimony 50

After coming into contact with Come And Reason Ministries, I can finally say that many of my unanswered questions have fallen into place. I discovered that my view of God’s Law was “imposed laws and rules” with “imposed punishments” and that this was the major culprit of my many unanswered questions. Thanks be to God for using you and those around you to help us who have struggled with this “infection” of thought. I have now rejected the “imposed law” concept to fully embrace “Design Law”… to look thru “Design Law,” instead of “imposed law,” is a relief.

Viliami L., Australia