Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Offers New Hope for Treatment-Resistant PTSD

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is showing promise as a treatment for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who have not responded to psychotherapy or psychiatric medications. According to researchers at Tel Aviv University and the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Shamir Medical Center, HBOT can heal the biological brain injuries associated with PTSD and significantly reduce symptoms such as flashbacks, hypervigilance, and irritability. This development offers hope for those struggling with therapy-resistant PTSD.

Detailed Protocol Yields Encouraging Results

The study, conducted from 2019 to 2023, involved 98 male Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) veterans diagnosed with combat-related PTSD. These participants, who had not responded to traditional therapies, were divided into two groups. One group received HBOT following a specialized protocol developed at the Sagol Center, while the other received a placebo treatment involving regular air.

The HBOT protocol included 60 two-hour sessions in a hyperbaric chamber. During each session, participants alternated between breathing pure oxygen at twice the normal atmospheric pressure and regular air, cycling every 20 minutes. This alternation was designed to stimulate tissue healing by creating fluctuations in oxygen levels. Functional MRI imaging revealed improved connectivity in brain networks among HBOT participants, accompanied by significant reductions in PTSD symptoms. In contrast, no changes were observed in the placebo group, either clinically or in brain imaging.

Why This Breakthrough Matters

PTSD affects approximately 20% of people exposed to traumatic events, often causing severe emotional, social, and occupational dysfunction. For many, these effects are compounded by resistance to traditional therapies, attributed to structural and functional changes in the brain. HBOT, by targeting the biological "wound" associated with PTSD, provides a novel approach to addressing treatment-resistant cases.

The importance of this research is underscored by the sharp rise in PTSD diagnoses in Israel following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and subsequent conflict. Before the attack, approximately 6,000 IDF veterans were recognized as PTSD sufferers. These numbers have since surged, with tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians likely to receive diagnoses. This increase highlights an urgent need for effective, scalable treatments like HBOT.

Call for Professional Treatment Centers

The researchers emphasize that HBOT should only be administered in professional, supervised centers with multidisciplinary teams experienced in trauma care. Prof. Shai Efrati explains, “Patients suffering from PTSD should undergo HBOT only at professional hyperbaric centers, where treatment is delivered by multidisciplinary teams experienced in trauma care. Unsupervised, private hyperbaric chambers are unable to provide the proven, effective protocol.” Additionally, a thorough professional evaluation is crucial to determine whether HBOT is suitable for each patient and to identify the additional support needed throughout treatment.

At the Sagol Center, the largest hyperbaric facility in the world, hundreds of PTSD patients are already receiving treatment daily, with plans to expand capacity to 1,000 patients annually. This study, published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, represents a critical step forward in the global effort to provide effective relief for PTSD sufferers and their families.