March 2021

Traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries can severely alter the personalities, mobility, and overall quality of life of those who have experienced them. Rehabilitation will depend upon rest and recovery, but rehabilitating the brain quickly is the only way to ensure the rest of the body doesn’t suffer.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, in conjunction with brain injury support and neurotherapy, is an effective way to improve patients’ status who may not be responding to typical treatments, as well as a way to speed up the time of recovery. Because it is non-invasive, specialists can treat brain injuries of varying severity, from mild concussions to cerebral concussions.

What Does A Mild Concussion Feel Like?

Mild concussions, also known as mild traumatic brain injuries and head concussions, are common traumatic brain injuries. Cerebral concussions can occur as a side effect of any blow to the head, like a fall, a hit with a ball during a sporting event, or a mild accident.

Concussions cause mild to moderate symptoms revolving around motor skills, cognitive function, and pain. Those with mild concussions typically experience headaches, fatigue, nausea, ear-ringing, confusion, forgetfulness, blurry vision, and more. These symptoms last between days and weeks and can be debilitating if left untreated.

When To Seek Help For Head Concussions

Typically, you should always see a doctor within a few days of a potential mild concussion, even if you show no symptoms. However, patients should seek more urgent care if they bleed from the ears or nose, lose consciousness for more than thirty seconds, have dilated pupils, slurred speech, lasting nausea or headaches, or any other behavioral disturbances that were absent before the injury.

In these cases, the best course of action is to take the injured to an emergency center or urgent care practice. From there, the treating doctor might refer the person with a mild concussion to a concussion specialist, like MVS Wound Care and Hyperbarics.

What Do Concussion Specialists Do?

Concussion specialists are trained medical professionals who specialize in diagnosing and treating mild traumatic brain injuries. To find a concussion specialist in Maryland, you may choose to speak with your primary care physician, or you might be referred during an emergency department visit. General practitioners and emergency doctors can refer you to a concussion specialist who will be best suited for your particular case needs.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy For A Head Concussion

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT for short, is a non-invasive treatment that can help external and internal injury healing. During a HBOT session, you will meet with your concussion specialist to discuss your health since your last visit. From there, your concussion specialist will help make you comfortable inside the pressurized HBOT chamber for your session. Breathing in 2x-3x more oxygen than you usually would, hyperbolic oxygen therapy hastens healing, tissue and cell regeneration, and promotes the creation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis). Patients will go through this process between 10 and 60 times depending upon the severity of their injury.

MVS Wound Care and Hyperbarics uses HBOT for external wounds, like diabetic ulcers of the foot, and internal trauma like a cerebral concussion. If you have recently experienced a head injury and would like to speak with one of our specialists, call us at (410) 433-4300.

Please note that the therapeutic benefits of hyperbaric oxygen treatment for concussions is well-documented and supported by on-going research for many conditions not yet approved by the FDA.