Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy - Hyperbaric Chamber Information ...

evidence that exposure to HBO may be no better than placebo or sham therapy. The
review concluded that no firm and generalisable evidence is available to support the use
of HBOT for cerebrovascular disease at this time.
Cardiovascular disease conditions: peripheral obstructive arterial disease
A single, small trial provides little evidence of benefit. Some of the methodology used
during the trial and the conclusions drawn from it are cause for concern. The study
provided no evidence of the efficacy of HBOT for peripheral obstructive arterial disease.
Soft tissue injuries: acute ankle sprains
A single study provided no evidence to support the use of HBOT for acute ankle sprains.
Soft tissue injuries: crush injuries
A single study found that exposure to HBOT benefited patients with crush injuries of
the lower limbs, although this benefit was mainly reported in terms of decreasing surgical
interventions rather than decreased healing time. Studies examining a broader range of
outcomes in larger populations are required to generate firmer and more generalisable
conclusions.
Cluster headaches
There is some evidence of a beneficial effect on pain relief and physiochemical outcomes
in patients with some forms of cluster headache exposed to HBOT. Concerns about the
methodology of the studies and their quality strictly limit their usefulness. These
concerns included small sample sizes, inadequate masking, and inability to control for
temporal or measurement bias. The Hawthorne effect, in which responses by
participants are affected because they know they are being studied, is also an important
consideration. Only one of the studies measured clinically relevant outcomes. More
rigorous studies in different settings and examining more varied outcomes in bigger
groups of patients are required to provide firmer and more generalisable evidence of
effect. At this time, the evidence found is insufficient to support the use of HBOT in
cluster headaches.
Migraine headaches
Exposure to HBO seems to provide pain relief for migraine headaches. However, more
studies in different settings and examining more varied outcomes in larger groups of
patients are required to provide further conclusive evidence of a firm and generalisable
effect.
Facial paralysis
A single report provided some evidence of the benefit of exposure to HBO for subjects
with moderate to severe forms of facial paralysis of less than one week duration.
Replication of this study to other settings and an examination of other outcomes are
required to come to firm and generalisable conclusions.
Sudden deafness and acoustic trauma
The studies provided conflicting evidence of the efficacy of HBOT in the management
of sudden deafness and acoustic trauma. Problems with methodology were common in
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