Stroke

Today it is estimated, stroke outranks head injuries as the leading cause of neurological disability in North America. Each year, hundreds of thousands of families experience the ravages of stroke by a family member.

In Dr. Neubauer's book Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy he states one third of those who suffer a stroke do not survive the initial attack, and another third enter nursing homes. Only one third improve, and many of these patients are left with disabilities that hinder their capacity to resume their pre-stroke lives. He further states that stroke care in the USA cost more than $30 billion a year. We can usually take USA figures and divide by 10 to get a fairly accurate estimate of the costs here in Canada.

HBOT cannot help all stroke patients who are seeking improvements but it does offer many the chance to improve or reverse some symptoms if the damage, which has been done, is not severe or in critical area.

The majority of strokes are caused by blood vessel obstructions, such as blood clots, that cut off blood and oxygen to parts of the brain. This results in the death of brain cells if the flow of blood is not restored within a few minutes. The localized non-functioning area in the brain is called an infarct. Previously healthy tissues surrounding the infarct start to become hypoxic, which is referred to as the ischemic penumbra. It contains dormant or idling neurons, brain cells that are nonfunctional but intact.

The disabilities that ensues depends upon what area of the brain has been affected. They may include paralysis on one side of the body and spasticity. This damage to the brain can reduce mobility, speech, swallowing ability, create mental difficulties, memory loss and personality changes.

With the use of HBO, the dormant neurons restore their metabolism and function and the patient has a good chance of recovering some function which can be very significant. Sometimes, one part of the brain can take over the function of another part of the brain. The brain starts to sort out and reorganize function. This ability to switch functions is call plasticity.

Some people have spontaneous improvement and if the damage is not severe can recover partial if not all their function on their own. HBOT is used to ensure that as much recovery to the idling , intact brain cells take place and offers a more optimistic outlook for stroke patients.

HBOT decreases swelling in brain tissues, relieves oxygen starvation known as hypoxia, improves micro circulation and reduces spasticity. The improvements seen in patients have been reproduced in hyperbaric centres worldwide. Skeptical physicians who have followed their stroke patients recovery using HBOT, soon become convinced of the positive physiological changes their patients have undergone.

The use of double blind studies in the case of stroke victims has an ethical dilemma. How to treat some patients and not others knowing that the patients given placebo treatments could have improved if they were able to have HBO treatments. In this case the records of previous stroke patients progress could be used or the stroke patient themselves used as their own control.

Positive effects using HBOT, have been recorded in many studies worldwide. Whether a patient is seen within the first 24 hours after a stroke or 10 years later, recovery of non functioning dormant cells have been seen. HBOT does not resurrect dead brain tissue but it does assist the wound healing capabilities in the brain which is not available with any other form of therapy. The oxygenated neurons gradually reconnect to the rest of the brain helping to return the use of lost cerebral and bodily functions.

HBOT in conjunction with other modes of therapy have given physicians a powerful tool with which to help their patients recover to the best of their ability. Some patients return to work while others are able to regain functions which will allow them to stay at home with limited assistance to living entirely independently.

This centre has seen good recoveries in all the stroke patients we have treated. All patients are seen by our hyperbaric physician before starting HBOT and any necessary tests and previous health history examined. A video from Dr. Paul Harch on the science behind the physiological changes which occur in stroke patients using HBO may be obtained from this centre to view or to pass on to your primary care physician. It must be noted that most physicians are not aware of the science behind hyperbarics and will not know what to advise their patients until they either see patients improvement themselves. Since there are few absolute contraindications, HBOT under the care of our physicians is safe and can be life changing.

Jain K.K. Journal of Hyperbaric Medicine,4;55-61, 1989 Effect of hyperbaric oxygenation on spasticity in stroke patients.

Neubauer RA and Gottlieb SF. Stroke treatment Lancet 337;1601,1991.

Kaasid AE., Dimitriev KK., and Tomberg TA. Hyperbaric oxygenation in the treatment of patients with ischemic stroke. Zh Nevropatol Psikhiatr 88:33-43, l988.

Whalen R., HeymanA., and Saltzman H. The protective effect of hyperbaric Oxygen in cerebral Ischemia. Arch Neurol 14:15, l966.

Neubauer RA., Kagan RL., Gottlieb SF., and James. PB. Letter to the Lancet, March 3, l990.

Neubauer RA., Gottlieb SF., and Kagan RL. Enhancing "idling" neurons. Lancet 335-542, l990.

There are many references and research article on stroke and the use of HBO which can be obtained at any medical library or by searching the internet.

An important book to read is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy by Richard A. Neubauer, M.D. and Morton Walker, DPM.