HBOT Enhances Brain Injury Recovery
Contributed by Dr. Meghan Haggarty
A young teen-age male suffered a head injury while on a routine bike ride in a nearby park. Fortunately the boy’s mother was present and the patient was taken to emergency within a short time after the accident. The patient was unconscious and diagnosed with a moderate brain injury. Two MRI scans confirmed the injury—a bruised area at the front of the brain. The patient spent 2 days in an induced coma to ensure the functioning of vital organs. This was followed by three days in intensive care and a further week under general observation and recovery planning and preparation in the hospital. Immediate recovery consisted of managing concussion like symptoms: nausea, headaches, balance and memory loss. Recovery then progressed to physical and occupational therapy. The patient’s family supported him by helping him through the exercises developed by the therapists.
The patient required special accommodations to be reintegrated into school life. A year after his accident the patient was doing well, but still had some difficulties with concentration and common noise levels expected in a junior high classroom.
At this point, a year after the accident, the family was able to pursue hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat the remaining symptoms of the injury. After 40 one-hour hyperbaric oxygen treatments the patient noticed good results. Physical energy and focus were improved. Most importantly, the patient reported a dramatic increase in his ability to stay focused and not be distracted and disturbed in the classroom. His teacher has provided the same feedback, indicating a strong improvement in the patient’s focus, thoroughness with detail, and ability to complete all required tasks in the scheduled time.
The patient now enjoys enhanced clarity of thought and focus. These are critical aspects of a young person’s development. Ideally, the patient would have been treated much closer to the time of the accident to speed recovery. However, no hyperbaric facility existed in Alberta that could help. That has changed. The Nardella Clinic is proud to offer this powerful healing tool.
