April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive degeneration of nerve cells and neurons in the midbrain region that provides dopamine to the basal ganglia, a system involved in voluntary motor control. As dopamine declines, the characteristic tremors, rigidity, balance, speech, and motor problems develop. Other symptoms develop as the disease progresses, including behavioral changes, sleep abnormalities, and mood swings.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) benefits Parkinson’s by enhancing blood flow to the brain, providing more oxygen to the damaged midbrain, supporting cellular repair, and improving circulation. HBOT also reduces inflammation in the brain, enhances antioxidants, and slows the degeneration of nerve cells and neurons.
HBOT supports neuroplasticity, which is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. Additionally, HBOT has been found to increase stem cell production, thus promoting healing at the cellular level and helping cognitive function and motor control.
HBOT research presents an interesting opportunity for those with Parkinson’s disease. Until more research emerges, existing evidence shows HBOT helps improve certain Parkinson’s symptoms, enhancing blood flow to the brain, reducing inflammation, and supporting cellular repair. HBOT benefits and enhances the quality of life of those with Parkinson’s disease, complementing conventional Parkinson’s disease management.
- Hung-Te Hsu, Ya-Lan Yang, Wan-Hsuan Chang , Wei-Yu Fang , Shu-Hung Huang , Shah-Hwa Chou, Yi-Ching Lo. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Improves Parkinson’s Disease by Promoting Mitochondrial Biogenesis via the SIRT-1/PGC-1α Pathway, Biomolecules, . 2022 Apr 30;12(5):661. doi: 10.3390/biom12050661.
- Palzur E., Zaaroor M., Vlodavsky E., Milman F., Soustiel J.F. Neuroprotective effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in brain injury is mediated by preservation of mitochondrial membrane properties. Brain Res. 2008;1221:126–133. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.04.078.
- Wei-Qiang Tan, Qing Liu , Ming-Jun Cen, Ian I Leong , Zhao-Quan Pan, Mu-Xi Liao, Li-Xing Zhuang, Efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of sleep disorders among patients with Parkinson’s disease: a meta-analysis. Front Neurol, 2024 Jul 31:15:1328911. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1328911
