Class Contribution Form

Student Name: Marisa Scandole

Reference:

Izquierdo-Alventosa, R., Inglés, M., Cortés-Amador, S., Gimeno-Mallench, L., Sempere-Rubio, N.,
Chirivella, J., & Serra-Añó, P. (2020). Comparative study of the effectiveness of a low-pressure
hyperbaric oxygen treatment and physical exercise in women with fibromyalgia: Randomized
clinical trial. Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease, 12.
doi:10.1177/1759720x20930493

Brief Summary (250-word max)

Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes chronic and diffuse pain with decreased
cardiorespiratory capacity in those affected. They suffer from constant fatigue and impairments
to muscle tissue repair. Previous research has looked at high-pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy
for treatment of fibromyalgia symptoms and it was successful in improving quality of life but
this study looks at the effect of low pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy instead. Hyperbaric
oxygen therapy is when the patient is placed in a hyperbaric chamber and is given 100% oxygen
to breathe in which has multiple beneficial effects on the body including lower heart rate, lower
blood lactate levels and lower ventilation rate.
This study compared the effects of low-pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy with low
impact physical exercise program for patients suffering from fibromyalgia. The results showed
that both interventions improved pain pressure threshold during activities of daily life, however,
the hyperbaric oxygen therapy was able to reduce pain as well as fatigue at rest for the patients
significantly. This type of therapy was able to improve endurance , functional capacity as well as
physical performance of the female patients all due to the significant increase in oxygen supply
to the body. When there is an increase in oxygen there is an increase in cellular activity,
specifically ATP and it also promotes the metabolism of fatigue inducing products such as
lactate and inorganic phosphate. The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy should be utilized for
fibromyalgia patients.