Radiation therapy at a level high enough to be effective in the treatment of malignancies has the devastating effect of causing chemical changes in the skin and lining of the lungs, digestive tract and the urinary bladder. Radiation may save your life, but can have serious late side effects. The damage to the skin tissues may cause a serious burn, ulceration or even death of the tissue.

It is extremely difficult for adequate nutrients and oxygen to reach the tissues that have undergone radiation. This results often in pain. Narcotic pain killers are prescribed which do nothing to heal the wounds, and pose a potential addiction problem. Reconstructive surgery in a radiated area has a high failure rate due to the healing problems that occur because the damaged blood vessels do not provide enough oxygen for healing to occur.

The answer is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy [HBO] . HBO forces oxygen into damaged tissues, raising the tissue oxygen concentration back to normal range while stimulating healing of the wounded area. HBO enhances the formation of tiny new vessels in the damaged tissues. These new blood vessels provide a much needed blood supply, carrying nutrients and oxygen to build new cells and thus the repair of damaged tissue. If surgery is required, the area will be much better prepared and nourished for a successful outcome if enough treatments are done before and after the surgery.

The benefit of treating radiation injuries with HBO was first reported in 1973, but it was a study in the eighties of 336 patients that received hyperbaric after completing radiation therapy wherein the extremely positive results are still touted in hyperbaric textbooks today. The researchers concluded that hyperbaric oxygen was an extremely beneficial adjunct to treating damage to both bone and tissue.

At Dr. Steenblock's Clinic, Hyperbaric oxygen is the first line of treatment for radiation and other burns. You are in a small enclosed chamber which contains oxygen under pressure - Supercharged Oxygen . By breathing oxygen in this chamber, much more oxygen than normally possible flows to the damaged tissues. When given daily, this oxygen increases the formation of new blood vessels, increases collagen production and these changes promote greater tissue strength. This results in optimal healing, reduces or eliminates pain, and accelerates regeneration of the skin and underlying tissues.

1. Mainous EG, Boyne PJ, Hart BG (1973) Hyperbaric oxygen treatment of mandibular osteomyelitis: report of three cases. J Am Dent Assoc 87:1426-1430.

2. Hart GB, Strauss MB (1986) Hyperbaric oxygen in the management of radiation injury. In Schmutz J (Ed.) Proceedings 1 st Swiss symposium on hyperbaric medicine. Stiftung für Hyperbare Medizin, Basel, pp 31-51.

3. Kuhne, H.H. et al. Infection, 1985; 13:52-56.