Wellness We Love: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Let’s talk oxygen. Not the stuff you breathe walking down the street, but pure, pressurized oxygen — delivered in a way that can help your body heal faster, think clearer, and potentially even slow down aging.
We’re talking about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, aka HBOT.
What exactly is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is the increase in atmospheric pressure, combined with increased inspired oxygen.
Normally, we breathe about 21% oxygen at sea level. The rest of the air we inhale? Mostly nitrogen. If you're up in the mountains, like Lake Tahoe, which sits at around 6,200 feet above sea level, that number drops to around 15.5%. Less oxygen = more stress on the body, especially when it comes to producing energy. During a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy session, you breathe in 100% pure medical-grade oxygen.
How does oxygen really work in the body?
Our red blood cells carry oxygen via a protein called hemoglobin, delivering it to tissues and organs to help make ATP, our cellular energy currency. Without oxygen, we don’t function.
But here’s the catch: we only have so many red blood cells, meaning there’s a limit to how much oxygen we can carry in normal conditions. You can naturally raise it with altitude training, which stimulates your kidneys to release EPO, a hormone that boosts your red blood cell production. More red blood cells = more oxygen-carrying power. You can short-circuit the system with pressure. That’s where Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy comes in.
Why Pressure Matters
Most people think that if you just breathe more oxygen, you’ll get more in your system. But there’s a limit — your red blood cells are already about 96–100% saturated when leaving the lungs.
But with increased atmospheric pressure, you activate a physics principle called Henry’s Law: the more pressure you apply to a gas, the more it dissolves into a liquid. In this case, the gas is oxygen, and the liquid is your blood plasma.
HBOT drives oxygen directly into the plasma, not just red blood cells, giving your body up to 1200% more oxygen than normal conditions.
Neurologic Pressures: 1.3–2.0 ATA
This range is known for targeting the brain, nervous system, and inflammation markers. Most soft chambers operate between 1.3 and 1.5 ATA, occasionally reaching up to 1.75 ATA.
Benefits:
Reduces brain fog & enhances cognitive clarity
Calms neuroinflammation (big for TBI, concussions, PTSD)
Boosts mood, sleep quality, and mental energy
Supports cellular detox & improved mitochondrial function
Perfect For:
Biohackers focused on brain health, mood optimization, recovery from burnout, or neurological disorders like Lyme, MS, or post-viral fatigue (hello, long COVID).
Systemic Pressures: 1.87–2.4 ATA
Once you pass 1.87 ATA, you start to trigger systemic effects—this is where oxygen begins to affect not just the brain, but the entire body at a cellular level.
Benefits:
Triggers angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation)
Supports stem cell release and tissue regeneration
Enhances immune modulation and reduces chronic inflammation
Powerful support for autoimmune issues, injury recovery, and anti-aging
Improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic health
Only possible in: Hard chambers—typically clinical or high-end wellness centers.
Hard vs Soft Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers
Traditional Medical Uses of HBOT
In hospitals and trauma centers, HBOT has been used for decades to treat a limited list of acute, life-threatening conditions. These are the FDA-approved and insurance-covered conditions:
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Necrotizing Fasciitis (flesh-eating bacteria)
Severe Infections like osteomyelitis (chronic bone infections)
Radiation Injuries post-cancer treatment
Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Non-healing Wounds and compromised grafts or flaps
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Off-Label & Experimental Use: Where the Magic Happens
Now let’s get into what most people in wellness, performance, and biohacking are after. These are the “off-label” uses—applications not yet covered by insurance but widely studied and reported anecdotally to have massive benefits.
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HBOT has become a go-to therapy for post-concussion syndrome and other traumatic brain injuries. Patients report radical recoveries even years after the initial trauma.
One of the most compelling anecdotes? A woman who suffered from severe post-concussive symptoms after falling off a golf cart had a massive recovery after just a few HBOT sessions. Within days, her cognitive fog lifted.
This isn't isolated. In the case of acute TBI, HBOT helps:
Reduce inflammation and brain swelling
Reverse hypoxia in brain tissue (Fixing or undoing low oxygen levels in the brain.)
Support neural regeneration
Improve cognitive function, focus, and memory
Even 3–5 days post-concussion, individuals report feeling “like a million bucks” after just a few sessions.
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Traditionally, stroke recovery is limited to physical therapy and time. But HBOT is proving to be a game-changer.
Studies show that stroke patients, even 3 months to 3 years post-stroke, have experienced significant improvements with HBOT.
It works by:
Saving dying brain tissue with immediate oxygenation
Activating neuroplasticity and repair processes
Supporting motor function and speech recovery
One practitioner shared that a patient who was hemiplegic (paralyzed on one side of the body) made a full recovery after aggressive HBOT alongside other integrative protocols. That's nearly unheard of in traditional stroke medicine.
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Though still early in clinical data, functional medicine practitioners are seeing encouraging results in patients with:
Alzheimer’s
Parkinson’s-related dementia
Vascular dementia
HBOT's mechanisms—stem cell activation, mitochondrial optimization, and gene regulation—make it a strong contender for cognitive longevity support.
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HBOT activates over 8,000 genes involved in healing, inflammation reduction, growth, and regeneration. These changes are not just acute; they alter your biology long-term.
In other words: it’s not just about feeling better—HBOT can reprogram your biology.
This is where HBOT moves from recovery tool to optimization tool.
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When you're inside the chamber:
Your immune system revs up, especially neutrophils and macrophages
Infections—especially those that don’t thrive in oxygen-rich environments (like Lyme, MRSA, and clostridium)—are suppressed
HBOT enhances wound healing by supporting new cell growth via stem cell recruitment
These regenerative properties are why HBOT is becoming a must-have post-surgery or after injury.
Fighting Cellular Aging with HBOT: Telomeres & Zombie Cells
One of the more jaw-dropping areas of HBOT research is its impact on cellular aging, especially when it comes to things like telomere length and senescent (aka zombie) cells.
If you’re not deep in the biohacker glossary yet, here’s the breakdown:
Telomeres are the little protective caps at the ends of your chromosomes. They get shorter as you age, think of it as the plastic tip on your shoelaces wearing down.
Senescent cells, aka zombie cells, are damaged cells that stop dividing but don’t die. Instead, they just sit there, inflamed, toxic, and pumping out chemical signals that damage healthy cells nearby.
HBOT seems to hit both of these aging markers harder than any other treatment we’ve seen.
In one study, 30 sessions of HBOT led to a 20–38% increase in telomere length.
Longer telomeres = better cellular health = a younger biological age.
Even more compelling? HBOT has been shown to reduce the number of senescent "zombie" cells by approximately 30% — a remarkable outcome, especially considering the short treatment window. To date, no other known therapy has demonstrated this level of cellular clearance with such efficiency. Why does this matter? Because telomere shortening and senescent cell accumulation are two of the nine hallmarks of aging. In other words, these are the biological drivers of how and why we age, and HBOT is showing signs of literally reversing them.
The Biohacker Stamp of Approval
If you're into biohacking or just wellness-forward living, you’ve probably heard names like Gary Brecka, Ben Greenfield, Bryan Johnson, or Dave Asprey talk about HBOT.
Bryan Johnson, the well-known biohacker behind Blueprint, has been actively testing Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) as part of his anti-aging protocol. He’s completed over 60 sessions at 2.0 ATA using the ZEUGMA hyperbaric chamber, tracking changes in inflammation, cognitive performance, and biological age. He even took it a step further—literally moving his office inside a hyperbaric chamber. According to his biomarker tracking, HBOT led to a 12.8% increase in collagen fiber density, a 40.9% increase in skin blood vessels, and a 21% drop in senescent (aging) cells.
For Johnson, HBOT isn’t just therapy—it’s a tool for optimizing longevity and cellular health.
Gary Brecka — known for optimizing the lives of high-performers and celebs — has spoken openly about how he uses HBOT to oxygenate the mitochondria, speed up recovery, and enhance cellular health.
Other celebs like Justin Bieber, LeBron James, and Tony Robbins have jumped on the HBOT train too, often incorporating it into their recovery or anti-aging protocols.
This isn’t just a trend. It’s a high-performance tool — now accessible to more people than ever.
What are the benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Let’s break it down:
Accelerated recovery – Great for post-surgery, injury, or intense training days. Oxygen floods the body, speeding up tissue and cellular repair.
Reduced inflammation – Chronic inflammation is behind so many modern health issues. HBOT helps regulate that.
Boosted brain function – Users report mental clarity, better focus, and improved mood. There’s even research on its use for TBI and brain fog.
Anti-aging potential – Some studies suggest HBOT can lengthen telomeres, which are linked to longevity and slowing the aging process.
Immune system support – More oxygen = better functioning white blood cells = a more resilient body.
What does a session look like?
Sessions typically last 60–90 minutes. You’ll either be in a soft or hard chamber, breathing normally as the pressure increases. Some people nap, some listen to music or podcasts. Either way, it’s chill — and you’ll likely walk out feeling refreshed and recharged.
Who is it for?
HBOT is perfect for:
Athletes looking to bounce back faster
High performers optimizing brain power
Those recovering from injury or surgery
Anyone battling fatigue, brain fog, or chronic inflammation
People curious about next-gen longevity tools
The Bottom Line
We’re living in a time where we can hack biology — and oxygen is one of the most powerful tools we have.
Whether you’re training hard, working long hours, healing from an injury, or just want to feel sharper and younger — HBOT is one of those under-the-radar recovery tools with massive upside.
It’s not just about breathing. It’s about oxygen as medicine — and it’s officially part of the wellness playbook.
