Can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Cure PTSD?
Is hyperbaric oxygen therapy the answer to PTSD? Here's a closer look at how it could help with healing and offer some hope for those who are struggling.
PTSD is a challenging condition that affects both the mind and the brain, often leaving traditional treatments like therapy and medication unable to provide full relief. But what if there was a way to help the brain heal itself?
Who Am I?
Hello! I am Dr. Mark Chern, and the author of this article. In the past year, I have been researching potential interventions for improving brain function as it relates to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. One of the interventions I have been exploring is hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which I have been using on myself and documenting in my substack articles.
I use a hard case hyperbaric oxygen chamber at a pressure of 2.0 ATA. This is akin to placing myself 10 meters (or 33 feet) underwater — and then breathing in pure oxygen.
While the intent of my intervention has been to improve my brain function (find out more on the ReverseBrainAge (RBA) project), I also read up on HBOT in general and share my learnings here on substack.
Read on to find out more about HBOT for PTSD!
What Is HBOT?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment that delivers pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. This unique environment allows the body to absorb much higher levels of oxygen than normal – this is why research has proliferated on the use of HBOT as a healing modality.
HBOT has been used for years to treat conditions like decompression sickness, chronic wounds, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Now, researchers are discovering its potential to address conditions that affect the brain, including PTSD.
The idea behind HBOT is simple: oxygen fuels the body’s repair mechanisms. By providing an oxygen-rich environment, the therapy encourages tissue repair, stimulates the growth of new blood vessels and even promotes the regeneration of brain cells.
Also read: My First 5 Days in Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber
What Is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. It’s not just a psychological struggle — PTSD physically alters the brain, affecting areas that control emotion, memory, and stress responses.
Here’s what living with PTSD can look like:
Flashbacks and nightmares that make you feel like you’re reliving the trauma
Irritability and mood swings that can strain relationships
Heightened alertness and a constant feeling of being on edge
Trouble concentrating or feeling “zoned out”
Can HBOT Treat PTSD? What Does the Evidence Say?
Research into HBOT as a treatment for PTSD has produced promising results. Studies have shown that this therapy can help alleviate symptoms and improve brain function, particularly in people who haven’t responded to conventional treatments.
Here’s what the findings tell us:
Significant Symptom Relief
HBOT has been shown to ease some of the most difficult PTSD symptoms, like flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, irritability, and hypervigilance. In one study1 conducted by researchers at Tel Aviv University and the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research in Israel, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 68% of veterans with combat-related PTSD experienced major improvements after HBOT, with the benefits lasting at least two years in many cases.
Improved Brain Function
One of the most fascinating aspects of HBOT is its ability to enhance connectivity in brain networks affected by PTSD, according to the same journal, including the frontoparietal network, the default mode network, the salience network, and the thalamus.
These networks play a role in emotional regulation, decision-making, and processing stress. The improvement likely comes from neuroplasticity, where HBOT helps the brain generate new neurons and blood vessels, essentially supporting it in rebuilding itself.
Effectiveness for Treatment-Resistant PTSD
HBOT has shown particular promise for individuals who haven’t responded to therapies like counseling or medication. Unlike traditional treatments, which focus on managing symptoms, HBOT works by addressing what researchers call the "biological wound" of PTSD—helping the brain heal at a cellular level. We will delve into this term later in the article!
How Does HBOT Work for PTSD?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. This pressurized chamber allows the body to absorb up to 16x the normal levels of oxygen. In the chamber I use, it is as if I am being transported 10 meters (or 33 feet) underwater.
As part of the treatment, the person in the chamber alternates between breathing pure oxygen and regular air in the chamber, and it is this fluctuation that is key to its effects.
The decline in oxygen levels when switching to regular air mimics hypoxia (lack of oxygen).
Hypoxia is a powerful trigger for the body's repair mechanisms, including the release of stem cells.
In the brain, HBOT leads to the generation of new neurons and blood vessels, a process known as neuroplasticity.
According to Professor Shai Efrati from Tel Aviv University and the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine2, this neuroplasticity is how HBOT helps to heal the "biological wound" associated with PTSD. PTSD is not just a psychological phenomenon; it also involves changes in the structure and function of the brain. HBOT appears to improve connectivity in brain networks involved in emotional regulation and information processing.
How HBOT Compares to Traditional PTSD Treatments
When it comes to treating PTSD, most traditional approaches focus on the psychological side of things, such as:
Talk Therapy: Methods like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) help people reframe their thoughts, process trauma, and develop healthier ways to cope. Techniques like EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) are also used to help reprocess traumatic memories so they feel less overwhelming.
Medications: Psychiatric drugs, such as antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds, are often prescribed to manage symptoms like depression, panic attacks, or insomnia.
These treatments can be life-changing for many, but they don’t work for everyone. Some people, especially those with more severe or long-standing PTSD, find little relief, leaving them feeling stuck or even hopeless.
Unlike therapy or medication, HBOT doesn’t just address the mental and emotional aspects of PTSD—it goes deeper. It directly targets the physical effects that trauma has on the brain. Dr. Keren Doenyas-Barak, the head of the PTSD program at the Sagol Center said that HBOT can help with some of the most difficult PTSD symptoms3, like:
Flashbacks: Those vivid, overwhelming memories that feel like reliving the trauma.
Hypervigilance: Constantly feeling on edge, like danger is just around the corner.
Irritability: Struggling with anger or frustration, which can impact relationships and daily life.
Nightmares: Recurring, distressing dreams that disrupt sleep and leave you feeling exhausted.
What makes HBOT so promising is that it doesn’t just mask the symptoms—it helps address the underlying changes in the brain caused by trauma.
HBOT’s Benefits Extend Beyond PTSD
While HBOT’s role in treating PTSD is gaining attention, its benefits for brain health go even further. By promoting neuroplasticity, as Dr. Shai Efrati said, it supports recovery from traumatic brain injuries, strokes, and other neurological conditions4. The therapy enhances blood flow, reduces inflammation, and creates an environment where the brain can repair itself naturally.
For anyone living with the effects of trauma or neurological challenges, HBOT offers more than just hope—it provides a path to healing that addresses the brain’s needs at a foundational level. Though further research is needed, its potential as a transformative treatment for both PTSD and overall brain health is hard to ignore.
My Bio
My name is Dr. Mark Chern, and my interests are in how we can slow down brain aging. Subscribe to my Substack if you want to follow my journey and get updated on new findings as it relates to the HBOT and the brain.