If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I have a form of inflammatory arthritis called Rheumatoid. My RA is well managed, with drugs and biological injections, but I do still have flare ups, where my joints become swollen, stiff and painful. This is usually managed by pain relief and rest, but I’ve been looking for a healthier alternative.
I started looking into Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy; and was pleased to find there’s a local clinic that offers this treatment. The Health Suite is on Uppingham rd, Leicester, and is a GP run clinic offering many medical and holistic therapies and treatments.
The Health Suite offered for me to try a short course of Hyperbaric Oxygen to see if it helped with my symptoms. Study about HBOT and Rheumatoid
On my first day I had a through assessment/consultant with a doctor, and the benefits of Hyperbaric oxygen were discussed. And then I climbed into the chamber!
I imagined the chamber to be small, dark and claustrophobia inducing. But I was pleasantly surprised. The chamber is 6ft 6 long and 90cm radius, it also has a large Perspex window, so isn’t intimidating at all. From now on in my head it’s a Capsule, not a chamber as it doesn’t sound as scary.
In the capsule, you can just rest and relax, read a book or magazine or listen to music. It’s very relaxing, the only discomfort is at the start and end when the pressure is increasing and decreasing. It’s much like taking off and landing in a plane, you can suck a sweet, yawn or swallow to help. To be honest by my third session, it was much improved, barely noticeable, like my ears had adjusted to it.
Some background about HBOT Oxygen is our most essential nutrient, crucial to every cell in our body. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy or HBOT delivers higher pressures and concentrations of oxygen than are found in the atmosphere to your organs and tissues.
Higher amounts of oxygen support your body’s natural healing processes by providing extra fuel (oxygen) to those areas affected by disease. This means your body is getting the extra energy it needs to heal and function optimally.
The amount of medical literature showing the positive benefits associated with low pressure HBOT is continually increasing . It has recently gained popularity due to its reported anti-ageing benefits but its true benefits go far beyond that, including for long Covid, injuries and a range of medical condition. Check out The Health Suite website for more info
My experience, i’m apprehensive but open minded when I start any form of treatment. The doctor told me that for rheumatoid arthritis HBOT is best when you’re in a flare, I wouldn’t describe that I’m currently in a flare, but I am having problems with my hips which is definitely linked to inflammation. I had x3 1 hour sessions, they do you recommend a course of about 40 hours if you have ongoing unmanaged rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
After my first hyperbaric oxygen therapy I felt extremely tired and had a really really good long deep sleep that night apart from that I didn’t feel any different at all.
After my second oxygen therapy that evening I noticed a massive bruise I had on my leg had improved greatly (I’d fallen the whole way downstairs the week before), and when I woke up the next day I felt full of energy I actually woke up naturally at 6:30 felt really awake and did some yoga. This is definitely new for me.
After my third session I again noticed the bruise was really really quickly improving much quicker than my normal healing, and again I felt full of energy and ready to go.
It’s now been a week since my final treatment and I would say this week I have felt much brighter more full of energy and much better on waking. Each morning I would say I’ve woken up quicker I feel less sluggish and have less rheumatoid related joint stiffness.
I’ve noticed HBOT is now getting lots of press and coverage on social media for helping with your skin and the anti-aging benefits so I’m keen to explore this more. As with many women my age or do you spend quite a lot of money on skincare and treatments so this may be a healthy one to add to the pot.
I would definitely return to HBOT! I think anything that would help me during a flare and actually be healthy instead of adding more medications to my pot is worthwhile. I think I’d also try again if I was feeling particularly tired and sluggish as one of the biggest benefits I noted was an increase in my energy levels.
More about the The Health Suite…….. the health suite is a private clinic run by Gps and other health care professionals, offering a range of traditional medical and more alternative therapies. They can help with simple things like blood tests, to menopause assessments, physiotherapy, dietetics and massage therapy.
if you book a package (packages are booked are usually sessions of 10) before July 2022 using code KNTHS you will receive 10% discount on the package price. The Health Suite Web
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