Hyperbaric oxygen chambers increase the pressure of the atmosphere surrounding the body, which helps force the surrounding gasses into it. The partial pressures (percent of different gasses) can be adjusted. The primary use is for SCUBA divers who have come from the depths too fast, forcing the air bubbles in their vessels to expand beyond their ability to escape the joints. This trapping of expanding gasses causes severe pain and even death. The solution is to place them in the chamber and increase the atmospheric pressure to shrink the bubbles, allowing them to escape through the lungs. Slowly decreasing the pressure enables the bubbles to dissipate without pain.

These chambers are built to accommodate large horses. The theory is to increase the pressure with additional oxygen to get more of this gas into the body than can normally be done. This allows the oxygen to potentiate the healing process that requires this gas to occur.

Many anti-aging studies are looking into hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Joe Namath, the famous American football quarterback of the New York Jets and who lives about 20 miles away, swears by its use. He looks really good for being in his 80s.

There is danger in using compressed oxygen because a spark can cause an explosion. This happened in Ocala, FL, a few years ago. The horse wore steel shoes inside the pressurized chamber. When he panicked, the wrapping over the shoe became damaged, exposing the shoe to the metal chamber. A spark occurred, and the chamber exploded, taking the life of the horse and operator and destroying the chamber’s building.

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