Parkinson's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain and nervous system associated with tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement and problems with balance. The disease begins with the deterioration of dopamine producing brain cells in the substantia nigra, an area deep within the brain. Dopamine is a vital neurotransmitter, which allows communication between brain and body, controlling movement and balance.

The cause of Parkinson's disease is unknown. Many researchers believe that several factors combined are involved: free radicals, accelerated aging, environmental toxins, and genetic predisposition.

Currently there is no cure for Parkinson's disease but HBOT can provide dramatic relief from symptoms. Patients and their physicians have reported remarkable improvements in rigidity, slowness of movement, gait, facial expression, sleep, speech, appetite, mood and tremble reduction.

Studies have indicated that HBO may inhibit the apoptotic pathway involved in the progressive neuronal degeneration by stimulating the expression of the Bcl-2 proteins. It is suggested that HBO therapy is neuroprotective in nature to the nigro-striatal neurons by acting as an antiapoptotic process. This could stabilize neuronal function, thereby potentially decreasing the progression of the neurodegenertion observed in Parkinson's Disease.

With Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) one breathes 100% oxygen while sitting or lying in a specially designed pressurized, hard chamber at controlled pressure (greater than sea level) for a prescribed amount of timeÑusually 60 to 90 minutes. HBO therapy is commonly used to treat conditions such as burns and difficult healing wounds. HBO therapy facilitates healing in these and other conditions by increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood by up to 2000 percent, depending on the treatment depth. This in turn dramatically increases the amount of oxygen at the cellular level. This therapy enhances the body's own natural-healing process.

The limiting factor of oxygenation at normal pressures (1.0 ATA) is our own blood and tissue physiology. At 1.0 ATA (atmospheres absolute), the red blood cells are able to carry only a limited amount of oxygen. At higher pressures, oxygen is more readily dissolved into all bodily fluids, including plasma, lymphatic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, and interstitial fluid. This increase in oxygenation helps to reverse states of tissue oxygen depletion, known clinically as hypoxia, which is often a leading cause of cellular damage during disease states.