Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has won critical acclaim in many quarters in recent years, both at home and abroad, for the way in which it has metamorphosed the lives of many patients. The amazing story of how the therapy ameliorated the life of Chris Daniels, a US Army Veteran, further reinforces the view.
While serving in the armed forces, Daniels moved to Iraq in 2003 at the time of war, and stayed there for a couple of years. He had witnessed several bomb explosions from close proximity during his stint, escaping unscathed from them, apart from a leg injury, before his return to the United States.
When asked about it, the Centerport resident stated that the memories of his stay in the desert nation virtually gave him sleepless nights even though he had left the place. However, after having served in the army, he had to move along and go about his business sooner or later.
Then started a new chapter in his life – the chapter of his recovery. It began with the diagnosis of the condition that Daniels was facing. Upon being diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), it was clear that he was experiencing the outcome of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), which is commonplace among army men who are deployed in war zones.
During his adolescence, Daniels used to play action-packed contact sports like football, lacrosse, etc. in which TBIs are common. However, such traumatic injuries were not as closely monitored at that time as they are done at the present time. Therefore, the possibility that one of the injuries that he suffered in his teen age might be the prelude to the condition couldn’t be ruled out.
Whatever the reason, for him, the recuperation from the condition was at the top spot on the list of priorities. He tried psychotherapy, only to realise that it couldn’t deliver him the desired results. Thus, being exhausted of other options, he decided to try HBOT with a view to relieving himself of the condition.
Things changed dramatically for him after the decision. Not only could he sleep for eight hours at a stretch at night, instead of four, he could feel a marked improvement in his quality of life as well. He felt as though he had got back, in terms of his health, what was lost a decade ago. “My body is just now catching up on the rest it’s needed for a decade,” he was quoted as saying in a news report.
To sum up, Daniel’s story speaks volumes for why HBOT has been gaining in popularity among patients as a favorable treatment since its inception. Many researchers still believe that there are more benefits to what the therapy can provide than what we know thus far. As the research for the usefulness for the therapy is in full swing nowadays, we can expect many more groundbreaking pieces of research in this connection down the road.
