I. Attention Getter Think of the word chamber. What comes to mind when you think of chamber?

Possibly its a mediaeval torture chamber, a bedroom, or wherever your imagination takes you. Now think of an oxygen chamber. This may change the meaning slightly since oxygen is what keeps us alive and healthy. For some, oxygen chambers mean hope and health. Today I am going to introduce you to mild hyperbaric oxygen treatment, which is a little known medical treatment for many conditions. In particular, how it is used at the Chamber of Hope. This form of medical treatment is considered unconventional but has proved to provide great results for sick people who often have lost hope. First, I will tell you what it is and how it works. After that, I will talk to you about the amazing results from this form of treatment. I. What Hyperbarics is

A. Ive had the privilege of working with people receiving this type of treatment for about a year at Chamber of Hope. 1. Chamber of Hope is here in St. Petersburg and is a non-profit organization that provides these treatments at no cost. Normally these treatments cost (). 2. They primarily treat children under the age of 18; however, they also treat adults. 3. When you walk in to the facility, what youll notice is five of these oxygen chambers. The chambers are roughly six feet long, sit on the ground, and are made out of expandable vinyl. 4. The chambers are used for an hour at a time and stay full all day long. 5. The children go in to the chambers with a parent or guardian. Typically, they bring blankets pillows, toys, games, books, and electronics to keep them entertained and calm throughout the treatment. 6. Once they are situated in the chamber, we set up their nasal cannula, which is a plastic tube that goes into each nostril or theyre set up with a mask that provides the oxygen directly. 7. We zip both layers of the chamber and fill them with oxygen and add a pressure of 1.5 psi. 8. Those in the chamber are not trapped inside. They can either decompress the chamber themselves or they can get our attention through the side and top windows, and we will decompress it for them. 9. Initially, when in the chamber we advise the patient to close their nose and blow in order to decrease the comfort. Its similar to being on an airplane at departure and arrival where your ears pop.

II. How Hyperbarics works A. The mechanism of how mild hyperbaric oxygen treatments work is not completely understood but is constantly being researched. According to an article from Dr. Buckley 1. Simply put, oxygen under mild pressure enables the oxygen to dissolve in the plasma, so it reaches the injured tissues in a way that it normally wouldnt. 2. This has been shown by studying blood flow in the brain with special instruments. III. Results A. There are fifteen FDA approved conditions that can be treated. The FDA is the Federal Drug Administration and they are responsible for regulating health care methods. A couple of examples include: Thermal Burns, Diabetic Wounds, and Anemia which is a condition where a person has low hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is what carries oxygen throughout our bodies. 1. However, there are about 60 non-FDA approved conditions that have been successfully treated. Just to name a few common conditions, there is: Autism, Cerebral Palsy, and Coma victims. 2. The patients come in twice a day, Monday-Friday for an hour at a time. They receive 40 treatments and come back in a month or two if not completely healed. Sometimes patients will be treated for years until they get better or are healed. 3. At the Chamber of Hope, thousands of people have been helped at no cost to them. Some people are completely healed and others are partially healed, but the results are often remarkable. 4. My favorite patient was Manny. He was thirteen years old when he came to us at the Chamber of Hope for Brain Damage. He had a heart attack on a family ski trip and his brain was deprived of oxygen for an undetermined amount of time. After his heart attack, the doctors said he would not be alive for much longer and if he did survive, he would have a very limited capacity physically and cognitively. Before his heart attack, he was an all-star soccer player, a straight A student, and could play about seven instruments. I was there during a time where he received 40 treatments, and the results were amazing. When Manny first came he was unresponsive to others, unable to speak, and unable to walk. After treatments, he was extremely responsive, able to communicate in limited capacity, and could walk with support. He is a living example of how this unconventional therapy can help certain people. I. In conclusion, I have discussed what mild hyperbaric oxygen treatments are, how they work, and potential results. Hopefully when the word chamber is mentioned, you will think of mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy and its benefits.