As someone who’s a keen ‘biohacker’, I was very intrigued the other week to serendipitously hear about an exciting type of therapy with a myriad of different applications and uses.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (or HBOT, for short) emerged almost a century ago as treatment for divers with diving-related sickness e.g. ‘the bends’ but has grown in popularity in recent times for its aforementioned application to a host of other ailments ranging from depression, MS, fatigue, injury and infection. It is something I had never come across before, despite partaking in many different breath and oxygen related modalities such as Buteyko, Wim Hof and box breathing, so naturally I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
Active Clinics, based in Edgbaston turned out to be the only clinic in all of Birmingham that provided this therapy and after a discussion with AC’s helpful and courteous owners, they agreed to give me three sessions of HBOT to try at a discounted rate*.
How it Works (the ‘Explain like I’m five’ version)
The ultimate goal of HBOT is to essentially help the body oxygenate the blood more efficiently. This is done by requiring the user to hop in a chamber, breathe in a pure form of oxygen through a mask at a lower level of pressure the body is usually accustomed to (which helps the lungs facilitate even higher oxygenation of the blood, organ and bodily cells).
In simple terms, a higher concentration of oxygen in the bloody, body and organs will lead to better overall health, which is what makes this kind of therapy a great adjunct for an almost endless list of health issues. During this experiment I would lie in the chamber in three one hour sessions with the general recommendation that one partakes in around two sessions per week to feel the full benefits.
How it went
Going into my trio of sessions there were a few things in mind that I wanted to work on (nothing too serious, fortunately!), namely my energy levels, a minor skin fungal infection and a stubborn muscle injury in my back and I can safely say that in three sessions HBOT certainly helped with all three and I imagine that if this was something I were to continue to do regularly, the benefits would compound (and help in other areas of health too). After session one, the biggest change I noticed was to my general feeling of vitality and calmness.
Two days after session number one, I did the rather unhealthy of thing of consuming a lot of alcohol at a university reunion event but was pleasantly surprised to notice that my hangover the next day was only about 50% as bad as I expected it to be. I woke up feeling strangely ‘fresh’ and could only attribute that to the HBOT session I’d done 48 hours previous.
Some time after session two or three my fungal infection had completely gone and whilst my back injury is still lingering, I feel like the intensity of it has gone down a few notches. And the great news is that, as already iterated, the literature on HBOT says that the real benefits come after 10+ sessions; like any therapy it is not a ‘magic fix’ and takes time and perseverance to really feel the full range of benefits.
About Active Clinics
Set up by Hilal Mehdi and Tammay Takkar, Active Clinics is a wellness clinic that endeavours to help their clients through a variety of modalities such as Cryotherapy, HBOT and various cosmetic and skin treatments. Upon touring their premises, I noticed that Active Clinics has been the clinic of choice for a myriad of high-profile clients, namely Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker (who used the cryotherapy chamber during a UK tour with Blink 182) and UFC world champion Leon Edwards, who hails from Birmingham himself.
Cryotherapy in particular, is something I’ve been meaning to try (and it’s definitely not because I’m a complete wimp when it comes to cold exposure, no siree Bob) and may be an interesting thing to combine with HBOT with regards to my ongoing back muscle issues.
How to get in touch with Active Clinics and book a HBOT session
By visiting their website or calling 0121-455-6529.
*I received a 50% discount for three sessions of HBOT at Active Clinics in Edgbaston
Medical Advice disclaimer
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
