Skip to main content

HICE HQ

Menu

How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Can Help Your Body Heal Faster

25 Sep 2026

How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Can Help Your Body Heal Faster

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy l Halifax

Every athlete knows the frustrating part of an injury isn’t the knock itself. It’s the waiting. Days on the sidelines, sore muscles that won’t settle, and a body that just doesn’t feel ready. That’s why more people, from Super League players to weekend runners, are adding hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to their recovery routine.

So what is it about sitting in a pressurised chamber that helps the body repair itself? Here’s what the science says.

Oxygen: The Fuel Your Body Heals With l Hyperbaric oxygen therapy Halifax

Every stage of healing needs oxygen. Repairing muscle fibres, building new tissue and clearing out damaged cells all depend on it. The problem is that injured areas are often the places oxygen struggles to reach, because swelling and damaged blood vessels slow down delivery.

Normally, oxygen travels around your body attached to red blood cells. Inside a hyperbaric chamber, the increased pressure lets far more oxygen dissolve directly into your blood plasma. That oxygen rich plasma can reach tissue that red blood cells find harder to get to, giving your body more of what it needs to do its repair work.

Four Ways HBOT Supports Healing l Hyperbaric oxygen therapy Halifax

1. It helps calm swelling.
Increased oxygen levels cause blood vessels to narrow slightly, which can reduce fluid building up around an injury. Less swelling means better blood flow and less pressure on the surrounding tissue.

2. It supports new blood vessel growth.
Research shows HBOT encourages angiogenesis, which is the formation of new blood vessels. More blood vessels mean a better supply line to the injured area, long after your session ends (Turkish Journal of Sports Medicine, 2025).

3. It can help move you out of the inflammation phase sooner.
Inflammation is a normal part of healing, but you don’t want to be stuck in it. Studies suggest HBOT can help the body move faster from the inflammatory stage into the rebuilding stage, where satellite cells get to work regenerating muscle fibres.

4. It mobilises your body’s own repair cells.
One of the most talked about findings in HBOT research is that it can increase the number of stem cells circulating in the blood. These cells play a key role in tissue repair (Thom et al., American Journal of Physiology, 2006).

What Does the Research Say About Athletes? l Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Halifax

A 2026 meta-analysis pulled together 10 randomised controlled trials with nearly 300 participants, from students to elite athletes. It found that HBOT significantly sped up recovery from exercise-induced muscle injury (Luo et al., Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2026).

The same study found HBOT had no clear effect on general post-workout soreness. Its biggest value looks to be in helping damaged tissue repair, not in stopping you feeling stiff after leg day.

Researchers also agree HBOT works best as part of a wider recovery plan, not as a replacement for rest, physio, good nutrition and sleep. Think of it as something that adds to the good habits you already have.

Interested in booking a session? want to feel the benefits? Book right here or visit www.hicehq.co.uk to find out more

Benefits of Contrast Therapy

Muscle Recovery & Reduced Soreness

Cold water immersion has been shown to significantly reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and improve post-exercise recovery.

Bleakley et al., 2012; Hohenauer et al., 2015

Improved Circulation & Vascular Function

Alternating between hot and cold enhances blood flow.

Wilcock et al., 2006

Reduced Inflammation

Research suggests cold exposure may reduce inflammatory markers and tissue swelling following intense physical activity.

Leeder et al., 2012

Cardiovascular Health Support

Regular sauna bathing has been associated with improved cardiovascular function and reduced risk of cardiovascular-related mortality.

Laukkanen et al., 2015

Mental Wellness & Stress Resilience

Cold exposure has been linked to improved mood. Sauna use has also been associated with reduced stress and enhanced psychological wellbeing.

Hirvonen et al., 2002; Laukkanen et al., 2018

Improved Sleep Quality

Passive heat exposure has been shown to support relaxation and improved sleep onset, contributing to overall wellbeing.

Haghayegh et al., 2019

Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Post-Stroke Recovery

Improved memory and brain activity. Studies have shown significant improvements in cognition, neurological function, and quality of life, even years after stroke. In a study of 162 chronic stroke patients, 86% achieved clinically significant cognitive improvement, with measurable gains across all cognitive domains and increased brain activity observed on imaging scans.

Efrati et al., 2013; Hadanny et al., 2020

Athletic Recovery

Supports and accelerates recovery by increasing oxygen delivery to tissues, helping reduce inflammation, muscle fatigue, and recovery time.

Ishii et al., 2005

Orthopaedics

Associated with improved healing rates, reduced swelling, and enhanced tissue repair following orthopaedic injuries and procedures.

Camporesi et al., 2010

Brain Injury / Concussion / TBI

HBOT was associated with significant improvements across all cognitive domains, including:

  • Memory: +8.1%
  • Attention: +6.8%
  • Significant improvements in quality of life and brain blood flow.
Boussi-Gross et al., 2013; Hadanny et al., 2018

ME / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Studies reported significant reductions in fatigue severity and improvements in quality of life after HBOT treatment, with benefits observed after as little as 15 sessions.

Akarsu et al., 2013

Crohn's Disease

Approximately 78% of patients showed clinical improvement, with reductions in inflammation, symptom severity, and disease activity.

Dulai et al., 2014

Long COVID

Patients demonstrated significant improvements in:

  • Fatigue
  • Sleep quality
  • Pain
  • Cognitive performance
  • Psychiatric symptoms

Benefits were maintained for up to 12 months following treatment.

Zilberman-Itskovich et al., 2022

General Wellness & Recovery

HBOT can increase oxygen dissolved within blood plasma by up to 20 times normal levels, helping support healing, recovery, circulation, and cellular repair.

Gill & Bell, 2004