When you travel to Thailand for adult stem cell treatment it is important to remember that the science behind Beike Biotechnology’s adult stem cells is enhanced with a comprehensive treatment based in Functional Medicine. This means that you are not only receiving the highest quality in cell therapy, but that you are giving those cells the best chance to work effectively in the body. One way we ensure this is through various additional therapies on site.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is not something new to our stem cell protocols, nor is it new to the medical field. However, it is a vital part of our treatment package, and one patients should better understand. In our video series “Beike Stem Cell Plus+™” you can get a more in-depth look at the additional therapies which make up our comprehensive treatment program.
What is HBOT?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is the medical use of oxygen at a level higher than atmospheric pressure. The equipment required consists of pressure chamber, which may be of rigid or flexible construction, and a means of delivering 100% oxygen into the respiratory system. The process is very simple. The patient simply enters the chamber and continues to breather normally for the duration.
Why is it used?
You may have heard about HBOT before, perhaps on the news or even on ESPN. Medical professionals have been prescribing the use of oxygen therapy for many cases including quicker recovery for high-level athletes, severe anemia, or even carbon monoxide poisoning.
Published research shows that HBOT increases the lifespan of stem cells after injection and provides an oxygen-rich atmosphere for the body to function at optimum levels. This is of course critical for the stem cells to reach the desired location of injury or infection and differentiate appropriately. The Functional Medicine approach is used in conjunction with our stem cell therapy in order to create the perfect environment inside the body for the stem cells to have the best chance to make improvements – HBOT helps in the same way.
Stem cell therapy research
Researchers from The Ohio State University noted that one issue with “stem cell therapy to repair ischemic heart damage is the low survival of transplanted cells, possibly due to poor oxygenation.” They found that “the beneficial effects of adjuvant hyperbaric oxygenation were significantly greater than that provided by mesenchymal stem cells alone.” HBOT is emerging as a therapy for cardiac functions, however this study showed that HBOT alone did not produce any significant effects, rather the combination of mesenchymal stem cells and HBOT together provided the benefits that each could not alone.
Another study from three top American universities showed that hyperbaric oxygen stimulates vasculogenic stem cell growth and differentiation in vivo. In disease models injected with stem cells, those who underwent HBOT showed 5.5 times the amount of cells reaching the vascular channels.
What does HBOT feel like?
The therapy does not hurt. You feel as if you are breathing normal air. The only way you would know the pressure is changing is by a popping feeling in your ears, similar to what you might feel in a descending airplane. Our medical staff monitors each patient for the duration of the treatment, which is usually about 1 hour. If any issues arise there is a microphone inside in which to communicate with the staff. They are committed to making your treatment as comfortable and relaxing as possible.
Tips to Prevent Discomfort
Upon entering the hyperbaric chamber high pressure will be admitted which may cause severe tinnitus or ‘ringing in the ears.’
To decrease the tinnitus, the patient should perform the following tasks:
- Yawn
- Swallow
- Move the jaw rhythmically
- Sip water
- Pinch nose and swallow
- Pinch nose, close mouth and exhale like blowing a balloon.
Sources:
Hyperbaric oxygen stimulates vasculogenic stem cell growth and differentiation in vivo.
Hyperbaric oxygenation enhances transplanted cell graft and functional recovery in the infarct heart.