Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
San Diego’s finest medical grade facility
Essential Medicine is San Diego's finest medical grade Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) facility. We follow state of the art Hyperbaric protocols based on cutting edge research in a serene setting with caring, emotionally attuned providers.
HBOT activates the body’s own innate healing mechanisms and is supported by a growing body of research in brain injury (TBI) and concussion, cognitive health, sports injuries, wound healing, surgical recovery, long COVID and more. When properly screened and supervised, HBOT is gentle and safe, and it has made a meaningful difference in the lives of many of our patients.
How does HBOT work?
Our hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) protocols are designed to stimulate healing and regeneration processes in the body. Under the effects of HBOT, your body is prompted to release its own stem and progenitor cells, along with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and other healing substances. This is how HBOT allows the body to repair areas that are usually very slow and difficult to heal.
Conditions We Support
Traumatic Brain Injury & Concussion
HBOT increases oxygen delivery and supports the body’s natural repair processes in the brain, which may aid recovery and cognitive clarity.
Stroke Recovery
Greater oxygen availability to the brain may support rehabilitation alongside your medical care.
Cognitive Health
HBOT is being studied for its potential to support cognitive function and brain health as we age.
Sports Injury Recovery
Supports tissue repair and helps calm inflammation, so you can return to training with confidence.
Surgical Recovery
Helps deliver oxygen and healing factors to tissues, supporting reduced swelling and a smoother recovery.
Long COVID
Many patients seek HBOT for lingering fatigue, brain fog and shortness of breath.
Chronic Pain
May help ease inflammation and support healing in conditions such as fibromyalgia and arthritis.
During a hyperbaric session you will be breathing in oxygen from a mask as the chamber is pressurized to 2 atmospheres, the equivalent of 33ft under water. Under this increased pressure, oxygen can dissolve directly into the fluids of your body, which cannot happen at sea level pressure. As a result, your blood plasma can carry roughly 10 to 15 times more dissolved oxygen than when breathing air at sea level, allowing oxygen to reach tissues where circulation is limited. Few other therapies can oxygenate the body like HBOT.
Through a biological mechanism known as the hyperoxic-hypoxic paradox, the repeated rise and fall in oxygen levels over a course of sessions prompts the body to mobilize stem and progenitor cells used for regeneration, growth and healing. Your body will also create signaling chemicals that tell your body to produce new blood vessels (VEGF). Furthermore, the extra oxygen gives a metabolic boost of energy to carry out all the important cellular regeneration processes.
Explore the research behind HBOT
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Brain Healing
Randomized, sham-controlled trials show HBOT can improve memory, thinking and sleep after brain injury, with brain imaging revealing better blood flow and new connections in injured areas.
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DNA Repair
Early research shows HBOT can lengthen telomeres and reduce worn-out (senescent) cells, two key markers of cellular aging, and may support physical vitality as we age.
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Long COVID Recovery
Long COVID affects many systems of the body. Controlled trials show HBOT can improve thinking, energy, sleep and quality of life, with benefits lasting more than a year after treatment.
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Surgery & Traumatic Injury
The synergistic healing effects of hyperbaric oxygen are well suited to surgery and injury, and recent reviews link HBOT to faster healing and fewer complications.
FAQs
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To begin, you’ll schedule an initial one-hour consultation and exam. During your visit, we’ll talk through your health history and healing goals and create a treatment plan and schedule that fits your needs.
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Our HBOT appts are scheduled in 90 minute time slots. We tend to start people with about 60 minutes in the chamber total and work toward approximately 80 minutes in the chamber.
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Patients tend to feel very relaxed during the session, often falling into a rejuvenating nap. Afterward, there is a feeling of vitality and energy that continues throughout the day. During the initial stages of the healing protocol, there is usually some fatigue that sets in later as your body goes into repair mode.
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Most research protocols for brain and neurological recovery use a course of 40–60 sessions, because the body responds to repeated signaling over time to build new blood vessels and support the repair of brain tissue.
Shorter courses of 10–20 sessions are common for soft tissue or bone injuries and wound healing, such as after a traumatic injury or surgery. We’ll recommend a plan that fits your goals and adjust it as you progress.
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Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has a long-established safety record when patients are carefully screened and sessions are properly supervised, which is one of the reasons we are so committed to this technology at Essential Medicine.
Your ears need to equalize as the chamber is pressurized, and some mild ear pressure or discomfort is possible when you first start. This usually resolves within the first few sessions.
We check for any potential ear concerns at your initial exam, and during each session your HBOT technician adjusts the rate of pressurization to help you clear your ears comfortably.
Some people feel tired after sessions, especially during the first 10 or so, as the body ramps up its healing processes. This is normal and usually well tolerated.
A small percentage of people notice temporary changes in their vision during longer treatment courses, which typically return to normal after the course is finished. More serious side effects, such as oxygen toxicity, are rare at the pressures we use, and we screen every patient beforehand.
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Please wear soft, loose fitting clothes to maximize your comfort during the session. Sweat pants and a comfortable shirt with a sweatshirt is an ideal outfit. The chamber is climate controlled inside, so you do not need to worry about being too hot. You can choose to keep jewelry on or take it off.
From Dr. Jools C.
“I went through a course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) after suffering a severe concussion with extreme hemorrhaging following an aerial fall headfirst into concrete in 2022. I was blown away by the power of this chamber! This was my 5th concussion, and with that kind of history of traumatic brain injuries, I had never experienced anything that brought me this level of enhanced cognitive functioning. I’m now thinking & remembering more clearly than I was before the concussion. Because I was able to start treatment immediately, it spared me most of the sequelae of awful symptoms. And it rapidly healed all of the facial bruising and scar tissue around the stitches! I was blessed enough to be back to treating my own patients 3 days later. HBOT was a life saver! ”
From Andrew D.
“My experience at Essential Medicine was beyond wonderful! I highly recommend going here. I went through a hyperbaric treatment plan and my well being has drastically increased. I rapidly met all my health goals. I actually feel better then I have felt in the past 10 years. Chris and Jools along with everyone there are so kind, grounded, and a deep well of knowledge. Their care and guidance was always felt throughout my entire healing journey. I am forever grateful for this amazing healing experience!”
