Diabetes affects more than 12 million people annually, and the experienced team at Skaggs Chiropractic in Joplin is always seeking the most effective methods to help our patients with diabetes. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) does just that for patients living with diabetes, without any invasive procedures or medications.
Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Diabetes
Diabetes primarily targets the body’s smaller blood vessels, which makes hyperbaric oxygen therapy an effective choice for treatment. HBOT has been demonstrated to stimulate angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, to significantly boost compromised blood flow and prevent organ failure.
Our patients living with diabetes may struggle to maintain stable blood sugar levels. Research has shown that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can considerably assist with this. Furthermore, recent reports have provided evidence linking HBOT to regenerating pancreatic Islets of Langerhans, the cells that produce insulin. Thus, the body is potentially able to naturally produce higher quantities of insulin. Through stimulating cellular activity and increasing reception to insulin in skeletal muscle, HBOT provides relief for common struggles with diabetes.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has also been beneficial in treating bone infection, bacterial skin infection, and in preventing systemic toxicity and permanent disability. For those living with chronic diabetes, impaired circulation reduces the body’s wound healing capacity and can lead to ulcerations. Choosing HBOT treatment can increase the amount of oxygen available to the ulcerated areas, leading to increased fibroblasts, or healing activity.
While HBOT may not be a cure-all, it is truly amazing to observe the healing power of oxygen, particularly oxygen under pressure. Studies have demonstrated the benefits of HBOT for diabetes with the following:
- Improved blood chemistry profile with HBOT:
- Fasting blood sugar
- Hemoglobin HB A1C
- Lipid profiles
- Stimulate angiogenesis and reduce inflammation with HBOT:
- Improves brain function and reduces risk of stroke
- Enhances heart function and reduces risk of heart attack
- Reduces risk of diabetic retinopathy
- Decreases risk of diabetic neuropathy
- Decreases cellulitis
- Advances Glycemic Control With HBOT:
- Promotes the regeneration of pancreatic Islets of Langerhans
- Decreases insulin resistance
- Enhances internal/external healing with HBOT:
- Promotes the healing of wounds
- Decreases the risk of infection
- Ameliorates ulcerations
- Reduces the risk of amputation
- Decreases the chances of diabetic neuropathy
Article cited from Skaggs Chiropractic