Cerbral Palsy and Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment
This condition is characterized by poor muscle control, spasticity, paralysis and other neurological deficiencies resulting from a brain injury that occurs during pregnancy, during birth after birth or before age 5. Generally cerebral palsy is an umbrella term for a wide range of physical disabilities, motor disorders, which impairs the control of body movement.
The symptoms of CP can range from barely noticeable clumsiness to severe spasticity that contorts the arms and legs and confine the child to a wheelchair. It is important to note that most people with cerebral palsy are not intellectually disabled, and even those who are unable to walk, speak, or control their movement may have perfectly normal intelligence which occurs in about 40% of the children.
Treating cerebral palsy with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is considered experimental even though it is widely used throughout the world. Strong emotions develop between "believers and non-believers" in the world of hyperbarics. It must be noted that HBOT is not a cure for cerebral palsy but offers a way to activate damaged or dormant brain cells which have been deprived of oxygen for a period of time.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy relieves the oxygen starvation of the brain known as hypoxia. Since full blood circulation to specific areas of the brain are impaired, increasing the rate at which oxygen diffuses into all of the body's fluids, increases the amount of oxygen carried to the hypoxic brain tissues. Oxygen enriched cerebrospinal fluid will help to repair any recoverable brain tissue that is intact but not functioning normal. In many cases, HBOT has shown these idling neurons have started to function more efficiently, producing long term improvements in both brain and clinical function. With the improvement of micro circulation and the relief of any brain swelling, a patient can experience a reduction in spasticity and an improvement in cognitive ability, vision, hearing and speech