Oxygen therapy: Top rugby player has treatment over fears of damage from head injuries. Now available in Leeds
Former England captain Dylan Hartley, just 36, has spoken publicly about the issues of dementia and brain injury connected with the very physical sport.
Now living in Dubai, he is reported to have booked himself in with a clinic in the country to undergo three months of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, spending hours in a pressurised chamber, to see if it will have an effect on his brain health.
Sarah Todd, who runs Oxify in Leeds where people can book sessions in a hyperbaric chamber like the one used by Hartley, says it has been used to treat a number of people with brain injuries and dementia – getting high concentrations of oxygen to the part of the brain which is starved of it.
“Brain damage or dementia can cause small blockages in the brain,” she said. “The therapy helps to get oxygen to those sites of inflammation or injury.”
The treatment is still relatively new, and tests and studies are still being done, but Sarah says, improvements can be seen.
The Therapy could prolong the time people can remain independent and slow down deterioration.”
What is hyperbaric Oxygen therapy?
The treatment involves breathing in almost pure oxygen (98 per cent oxygen as opposed to the 21 per cent in air) in a pressurised environment. During a session you lie inside the hyperbaric chamber and simply breathe in almost pure oxygen through a mask. The whole process is supervised by one of Oxify’s trained team.
The treatment is well-established for things like decompression sickness – a risk for deep divers – but is used to treat a range of other illnesses.
Once inside the chamber the air pressure is put up to two or three times more than normal. It is claimed that when the blood carries extra oxygen throughout the body it can help fight bacteria and stimulate the release of cells which promote healing.
Other people use the therapy to combat fatigue, headaches, migraine, symptoms of long-covid or simply to boost wellbeing.
Available in Leeds
Oxify Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is available here in Leeds (there are also Oxify Centre’s in Retford and Manchester). The chamber has been used by people with a range of ailments and issues including tissue recovery, stress relief, skin rejuvenation, chronic fatigue, asthma as well as sports recovery and general fitness.
Book your session now at Oxify Leeds – Ground floor, Woodhead House, Woodhead Road, Birstall, WF17 9TD by calling 0113 543 2750 or email [email protected]