Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) provides relief for a host of neurological and learning problems

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), or 100% oxygen supplied under varying pressures in a tightly-sealed compression chamber, has proven to be an astounding help for a host of brain problems. Side effects are minimal to non-existent. You would think the mainstream medical community would quickly make it a solid adjunct to whatever else they are doing for the healing of toxin-damaged or older brains. In reality, other countries are far ahead of North America in this regard.

 

 

 

 

 

Horizontal lie-down HBOT one-person compression chamber; photo from www.adventisthealthnw.com/HM-HBOT.asp

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Sit-up HBOT one-person compression chambers at Canadian Hyperbarics, at the General Hospital, in Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA; Link to Canadian Hyperbarics website:  http://www.canadianhyperbarics.com

Photo by Director Gordon Ward, Director, Canadian Hyperbarics, http://www.canadianhyperbarics.com

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Despite the wide array of problems for which HBOT is effective, our Canadian and US society has managed to keep this valuable and life-saving therapy in an ongoing controversial turmoil for decades. This may be because it appears to be expensive, and governments are fearful of incurring very large costs if large numbers of people realized how useful and effective it is.

In reality, the costs of HBOT pale in comparison with the huge costs associated with the ongoing and very expensive conventional treatments for heart disease, stroke, neurological problems, diabetes, MS, etc.

Part of the problem may simply be that the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society (who devised the hodgepodge and limited list of conditions which government and insurance-approved facilities generally use to prevent access to this priceless therapy) is an ultra-conservative organization not prone to real leadership in HBOT.

Thank heaven for the private freestanding clinics that know that hyperbarics will heal a host of brain problems and other problems, and that provide genuine and much-needed leadership in HBOT.

One such is Canadian Hyperbarics at the General Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA. They will help anyone who is up against the barriers of the highly-limited treatment provided by government or insurance-funded HBOT.

The Director of Canadian Hyperbarics is Gordon Ward, a personable and internationally-known expert in the HBOT field. Humorous and self-effacing, Mr. Ward has unfortunately often been obliged by forced circumstances to reluctantly demonstrate greater knowledge and expertise than many government or insurance-funded facilities staffed with hyperbaric physicians. More about Canadian Hyperbarics in future posts.

For more information about Canadian Hyperbarics and HBOT, please copy and paste the following URL into your computer’s browser line, the line you use when you want to get to a specific website on the internet:

http://canadianhyperbarics.com/index.html

Mitigation of  neurological problems, including memory problems

There are more than 75 million “baby boomers” in the United States, and millions more in Canada, who could use HBOT to ward off memory problems as they age, and this would require a huge outlay of public funds if HBOT were approved for this purpose:

WIKIPEDIA – The Free Encyclopedia, graphed the “baby boomer” cohort:

United States birth rate (births per 1000 population). The blue segment is the postwar baby boom.

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I am familiar with the mitigating effects of HBOT on neurodegenerative problems, Cerebral Palsy, LD (Learning Disabilities), ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), Autism, and a host of other brain problems and potential brain problems.

Governments typically only recognize the effectiveness of HBOT for a short list of ailments, such as carbon monoxide poisoning, gas gangrene, necrotizing tissue (“flesh-eating disease”), near drowning, decompression sickness (“the bends” to divers), crush injury, burns, exceptional blood loss (severe anemia), advanced wound care including diabetic wound care, and so on. It is a very narrow and short list of 13 conditions created by UHMS (Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society) and adopted by governments and insurance companies for treatments for reimbursement purposes. This protects governments and insurance companies from the large costs that would be incurred if all of the ailments that can be treated effectively were appropriately approved for coverage.

It must be said here that many countries in other parts of the world are far ahead of the United States and Canada when it comes to proper utilization of HBOT for a wide variety of conditions. For one thing, they have far more HBOT compression chambers than is the case in the US and Canada. Some countries even have mobile HBOT chambers for emergency use.

The prevailing philosophy in many countries worldwide  is to increase immediate access to a HBOT chamber in the case of heart attack and brain attack (stroke), as it has been proven beyond all reasonable doubt that immediate HBOT treatment makes a huge difference to outcomes for the victims of these common problems. HBOT is, literally, life-saving. More, it vastly increases the future quality of life of those it saves. And those it prevents from having serious brain problems.

To your brain health!

Doc Meek, May 8, 2010, at Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

P.S.  If you wish to pursue this topic of HBOT further, Kathy Summers has written a top-notch article.

Thank you, Kathy! LINK: http://www.healthwriting.com/health/hbot/

For detailed information on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), click on About HBOT below or follow this LINK:http://www.hyperbaric-oxygen-info.com/hyperbaric-chamber.html

19 Responses to “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) provides relief for a host of neurological and learning problems”

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  • Anna Fieeiki:

    Doc, I love your learning clinic. Berry and I so value your great knowledge and as your friends have been influenced to learn learn learn and read read read for more knowledge. We love you.
    Best wishes and lots of love,
    Anna and Berry Fieeiki

  • Wow! Anna and Berry, this is so good to hear from you two! Are you in the South Pacific islands right now or in the United States? I am tickled pink that you are benefiting from my blog for THE LEARNING CLINIC WORLDWIDE. My time in the South Pacific with you and all the teachers and all the Tongans was a blessed time in my life. And it is the same with my wife Jeannette. What great gifts you all gave us, gifts of acceptance, gifts of the heart and soul, gifts of non-judgment, and gifts of generosity of mind and spirit., not to mention “ufi” [the Cadillac of all root crops]. And the singing! I have told everyone that when Tongans sing, the angels sing with them. “How do you know the angels sing with them?” they ask, knowing I cannot carry a tune in a Tongan basket. 😮 My reply? “I know the angels sing with them because I can hear the angel voices!” I wasn’t much of a singer (unlike my melodious angel wife Jeannette) and I did dance my head, heart, hands and legs off at the great festive Tongan dances, eh? Everybody laughed when I tried to imitate the real Tongan dancers. Glorious jubilation!
    ‘Ofa lahi atu, Doc

  • Good to read about your passion for HBOT which is highly effective after one has contracted a disease or problems related to a disease. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to prevent the complication in the first place? Check out this website:
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  • Wow, Jeannette, What a great suggestion! Thanks for the incredible website videos! The prevention and reversal of cardiovascular disease is amazing, not to mention the prevention of all the collateral damage diabetes causes.We are not very astute in our society about prevention. We usually wait until the inevitable happens and then, as Winston Churchill pointed out, we do too late what, had we acted earlier, would have been effective. – Blessings, Doc

  • great site and your writing style is amazing. just found your site on yahoo. I¡¯ll come back later for sure

  • I like your site. great information too. I¡¯ll come back later. I¡¯m getting ready to go to the gym now

  • I’ve recently been an avid admirer of your website for a while and never really provided nearly anything back, I hope to alter that later on with more debate.Thanks for another new inclusion to the site.

  • Hi. I wanted to drop you a quick note to express my thanks. I’ve been following your blog for a month or so and have picked up a ton of good information as well as enjoyed the way you’ve structured your site.

  • ELias:

    Dear DR,
    I want it to ask if HBOT treat Learning Difficulties in poeple who do not suffer any kind of autism. My borther has LD but does not Have Autsim, will HBOT benefit him in a big way

  • Hi Elias, I am glad to see you on THE LEARNING CLINIC WORLDWIDE blog. Your question was truncated on my computer, so perhaps if you wished to write again, you can clarify what your full question is about.

    Assuming your question has to do with the effectiveness of HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy) for Learning Difficulties where the person has no obvious physical or biological issues, here is my tentative answer (remembering that I would try other things first, since HBOT is usually relatively costly):

    Yes, HBOT will effectively treat Learning Difficulties because it does three things, all good for the adult brain (or any brain over the age of 8):

    (1) HBOT wakes up “idling neurons” (neurons that are not functioning properly, from either known or unknown reasons).

    (2) HBOT creates a new micro blood network throughout the brain, bringing added nourishment and oxygen to all parts of the brain.

    (3) HBOT stimulates neuronal stem to grow into adult neurons (which is a good thing, since we can all benefit from as many neurons and dendrite connections as are possible, since they are one of the bases for cognitive competence).

    Having said that, I would try first:

    (1) Vigorous exercise can solve many learning difficulties, especially if it occurs immediately before reading or studying (the reason being that it brings added nourishment and oxygen to the brain, along with concurrent reductions in anxiety).

    (2) Removing toxins or substances to which the person is allergic, as these can interfere with cognitive functioning.

    (3) Making sure the brain has access to the necessary micro nutrients it needs for optimal functioning; this can be achieved with a nutritious diet, supplemented with the vitamins and minerals and phytonutrients and fibre that we all need for good health of the body and mind.

    Kindness, Collins/aka Doc Meek

  • I am currently looking for a portable oxygen concentrator for my mom.She uses the filled tank kind right now.Does anyone know what type of portable concentrator she could use.When I say portable I mean like the AirSep,Invacare,Alliance,and DeVilbiss.
    Thanks in advance

    I have been looking into oxygen concentrators. I am debating buying a refurbished one from http://www.jdsorientalhealthsupply.com/oxygen_concentrators.html I am not sure if I should buy new and get the longer warranty or buy the refurbished one with a 6 month warranty. and get a much better price. Any advice would be appreciated

  • Jeanette:

    My husband fell of the roof 71/2 yrs ago and damaged both legs below the knee and a lttle on the left ankle. He had at least 4 surgeries , several were over 3 hrs. He was off work for 1 1/2 yrs. As a refrigeration technichian , he was required to lift heavy objects and climb ladders etc so this had to stop. I noticed that his short term memory was failing and then expecially when he was selling a portion of his company to some of his employees 4 yrs ago and was under a lot of stress. He still has all the info in his head from before and recalls that no problem. we have an appointment with Gordon Ward in Edmonton next week . My question is- do you know if too much anesthetic damages the brain and is there proof of that , we can give to our local doctor so he will give us a referral for health care provision?

  • Hi Jeanette,

    In my role as a neurological learning specialist (my doctorate is in education, not medicine), I am crystal clear that general anesthesia can be hazardous to brain health, both short-term and long-term, especially with respect to memory.

    Extensive use of anesthesia impairs learning ability and memory, both short-term and long-term, without a doubt.

    The medical community has difficulty admitting this because it reflects on their practice in a possibly negative way. Besides, I think it is fair to say that, generally speaking, the medical community is not exposed to the long-term effects of medical practices on learning capacity, as I am, regardless of whether the long-term effects are positive or are negative.

    By definition, anesthesia affects the brain profoundly, otherwise we would not be rendered unconscious by it. It would be surprising, indeed amazing, if anesthesia did not produce some negative effects, both short-term and long-term.

    The problem lies in the fact that is is not easy to prove negative effects.

    What we do know for sure is that negative effects relate to the type and duration of anesthetic use, both for a specific operation and for a series of operations over time.

    Light anesthesia for short periods of time tend to produce fewer negative affects, when compared with heavy anesthesia over extended periods of time.

    Some sources say that inhaled anesthetics are more hazardous to the brain. For example, one reviewer (Misha Perouansky, M.D.) stated that “the largest body of incriminating evidence implicates isoflurane.”

    If you “Google” the word “anesthesia” you will find a wealth of information on this subject, much of it defensive material emanating from the medical community (naturally) and some material that is claiming (as I do) that there is no doubt that anesthesia is hazardous to the brain.

    Hyperbaric oxygen is one of the best (if not only) mechanisms to repair damaged brains, irrespective of the cause of damage, as you may already know.

    – Doc Meek, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada, Dec 10, 2014

  • Lyle holmes:

    I have MS. Does HBOT help? Is so what time frame, what kind of cost and will benefits last?

  • Hi Lyle, Good to hear from you regarding the use of HBOT to treat MS (multiple sclerosis). The best example of effective use of HBOT for the treatment of MS is Britain. They have successfully treated more than 1.7 million cases of MS, the longest-running medical “experiment” known in the world, over several decades, with no side effects. The sad part is that this has been done by a private charity as the government is apparently reluctant to use this methodology for fear of its costs, which in reality are far less than the costs of MS and other diseases, which, if left untreated, or treated with conventional methodologies, are much higher. You can use this link to review the British experience with HBOT: http://nebula.wsimg.com/f6262a561834d8631e1bb072b4506459?AccessKeyId=6A603868411ACE6B4742&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
    As mentioned in this link, the earlier the treatment is commenced, the more effective it is.
    I’m not sure where you are located, but if you are anywhere near Edmonton, Alberta, please call Dr Gordon Ward at Canadian Hyperbarics at the Edmonton General Hospital on Jasper Ave, and inquire of him as to time frames, costs, etc. He offers the lowest per hour rate of any facility in North America. Dr Ward’s HBOT clinic is reachable at 780-342-8934 in Edmonton. Or use his cell phone: 403-588-1660 for Red Deer, Alberta.
    Doc Meek, Sherwood Park, Alberta, May 30, 2017

  • Lynda:

    Does HBOT help heal a brain with dementia?
    Can anyone go to Dr.Ward and use the HBOT or do you have to be approved or referred to by a physician?

  • Hi Lynda,

    Generally speaking, HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy) will either reverse dementia or stop the cognitive decline, depending upon the age and severity and cause of the dementia. For example, if the dementia is vascular (shortage of blood oxygen supply in the brain), HBOT will certainly help as it directly relieves the problem. If the dementia is caused by neuronal damage or neuronal death in the brain, the HBOT stimulates neuronal stem cells to produce new neurons,an assured healing protocol for the brain. Age and severity of the dementia are also factors. For example, HBOT for the dementia of a 70 year old resulted in the reversal of the demential, while HBOT for a 90 year old resulted in the arrest of the cognitive decline, but not reversal. If the dementia is severe, HBOT is less successful than if dementia is mild or moderate. Generally speaking, the earlier HBOT is commenced, the more successful it is. Even late treatments, however, can arrest the decline, if not reverse it, as mentioned above.

    HBOT at the clinic at the Edmonton General requires no referral. Simply contact them directly at 780-342-8934. You may also contact Dr Tami Petroski directly by emailing her at apothecwellness@telus.net or calling her directly at 780-722-0919.

    Kindness, Collins (Doc Meek), Sept 9, 2017, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada

  • victim:

    Please do not miss-inform people. Gordon Ward in Edmonton, isn’t a doctor of any kind and has in fact harmed people. There is nothing more misleading to have a clinic attached to a government hospital, which Gordon has used as his protection however has no true relation and the government hospital holds no responsibly of harm Gordon has caused. This has been going on for many years, and those that have been harmed have had no voice. There are many that have walked away believing that HBOT doesn’t WORK FOR THEM. When in fact it should.

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