What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment that involves breathing 100% pure oxygen in a pressurized HBOT suite (often called a hyperbaric oxygen chamber). This process increases oxygen levels in the body 10–15 times higher than normal, and has been long-proven to speed up the body’s healing and rejuvenation abilities.

The Aviv Medical Program advances the effectiveness of HBOT many steps further by implementing specific oxygen fluctuations, coupled with an array of other therapeutic strategies, to help your body and brain reach their full potential.

What Does Aviv's Unique HBOT Protocol Do to Your Body?

Aviv Clinic’s unique HBOT protocol fluctuates the oxygen levels in the suite. The protocol combines two processes:

First, increasing the oxygen level in the tissues of the body and brain. Second, fluctuating the level of oxygen to enhance the body’s natural processes of rejuvenation. By controlling and combining these two processes, we maximize the potential of your body and brain, to achieve new standards in cognitive and physical performance.

The intermittent increase of oxygen concentration induces many of the mediators and cellular mechanisms that are usually induced during hypoxia but without the hazardous hypoxia, termed the Hyperoxic-Hypoxic Paradox.

In doing so, these variations:  

• Increase the amount of oxygen in the blood.
• Regenerate damaged tissue to heal faster.
• Provide energy the brain needs to trigger the healing process.

By the end of the treatment program, you can see a significant improvement in your mental and physical performance.

Do I qualify for the Aviv Medical program?

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• Aging
• Mild Cognitive Decline
• Post-Stroke
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS)
• Long Covid
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Lyme Disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Erectile Dysfunction
• Athletic Performance

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Aging

Researchers discovered HBOT may improve signs of aging by:

• Improving cognitive function, specifically attention span, information processing, multitasking, and memory
• Lowering the number of cells responsible for aging
• Increasing telomere length
• SPECT brain scan images before and after HBOT trials suggest positive effects of HBOT on aging. 

Learn more about how aging affects brain and body performance.

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Mild Cognitive Decline

HBOT’s ability to increase blood flow to the brain shows promise in improving cognitive function. 

The number of brain vessels naturally declines with age, and HBOT can help lessen this effect. 

One neuroscience study suggests HBOT can help combat memory loss and reverse early biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease.

Post-Stroke

One research study suggests HBOT can significantly improve post-stroke conditions. Study participants described a distinctly improved quality of life. 

When combined with proper nutrition, exercise, and regular cognitive training, a unique HBOT protocol may help post-stroke patients regain their speech, motor functions, and independence in performing day-to-day tasks. 

Speak with an Aviv team member to learn if you’re a candidate for the program.

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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS)

Approximately 30–40% of those who suffer concussions or traumatic brain injuries experience lingering symptoms. This condition is called post-concussion syndrome (PCS) and merits careful medical attention.

Research indicates HBOT may improve PCS, even years after a mild traumatic brain injury event.

“I’ve noticed that my balance, which was really thrown off when I first got [to Aviv], is coming back now.” Linden Perry, PCS survivor and Aviv Clinics patient

Long COVID

When you experience lingering symptoms beyond three months after the onset of COVID-19, it’s called long COVID or post-COVID-19. Symptoms can include physical, cognitive, respiratory, and cardiac complications. 

Studies illustrate that when included with other types of therapies, HBOT encourages oxygenation and reduces inflammation in severely ill COVID-19 patients. HBOT is also proven to enhance neuroplasticity in brain areas linked to cognition and emotion.

“During the program I gradually started to feel the improvements. I felt sharper, I could think more clearly, and could even concentrate for longer. I regained back my capabilities… it’s like an upgraded version of myself”. Vered Israelowitz. Long Covid survivor and Aviv Protocol patient

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that often occurs in those who have experienced a traumatic event. 

Upon a series of HBOT sessions, PTSD patients reported positive outcomes.

Through MRI scans, veterans with PTSD showed their brains’ microstructure and functionality improved.

Lyme Disease

Chronic Lyme disease is one of the most challenging illnesses from which to recover. Patients often experience limited relief from antibiotic-heavy therapies. 

Luckily, recent research suggests HBOT may improve symptoms of Lyme disease in patients who have taken antibiotics for at least 10 years. 

“I now have a solution. I have a way to get back to this place where I’m feeling energized, I’m feeling vital, I’m feeling like I can take on the world again”. Lyndi Scott-Strite, Lyme disease survivor and Aviv Clinics patient

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder that causes musculoskeletal pain throughout the body as well as other symptoms such as fatigue and/or sleep issues.

In one research study, fibromyalgia patients who underwent HBOT sessions five days per week over 12 weeks experienced less chronic pain.

Further research needs to be conducted, but these early studies suggest HBOT may help fibromyalgia patients live a more comfortable life.

Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects nearly 30 million men in the United States. Medical professionals have concluded HBOT may be a good alternative or supplemental treatment for ED.

Having HBOT sessions for 40 Days eased chronic ED among patients. Erectile function improved by 88%—and 80% of individuals indicated positive results.

How Does HBOT Work?

1. You enter a hyperbaric oxygen chamber

Sit comfortably and breathe through a custom-fitted oxygen mask. Patients generally don’t feel anything during this process. Most play brain exercise games on a tablet. Others listen to podcasts or practice a new language.

2. You rotate between breathing through the mask and breathing air

During the HBOT treatment, our staff helps you alternate between breathing 100% pure oxygen and medical-grade air. This fluctuation is customized to your physical and mental health needs. It’s the key to gaining the greatest benefits HBOT offers.

3. You come back for repeated HBOT sessions

Most patients complete roughly 60 sessions altogether, but your Aviv Clinics physician helps determine what’s right for you. At the end of your treatment, you receive detailed before-and-after reports that outline your progress. 

How Long Does HBOT Take to See Results?

Most people see improvement from the Aviv Medical Program very early in the 8–12 weeks of therapy and see medically verifiable results by the end of their treatment. 

Keep in mind there is no one-size-fits-all approach. You’ll receive your own unique, holistic therapy plan that can include HBOT, so outcomes and timelines will vary. Aviv Clinics provides objective data during your treatment plan to assess your oxygen levels and brain output before and after implementing HBOT and other therapies. Our ability to quantify your health plan is ultimately what delivers results. 

How Long Do the Effects of HBOT Last?

Our relationship with you does not stop at the end of your plan timeline. We’ll send you off with a wearable device and continue to check in with you and send reports on your health and performance. 

“I’m five months after the program, and I really do feel a lot calmer. I’ve been able to think through things more clearly. Before I was losing confidence, I was in a panic… now I plan to tap dance until I’m 120 years old!” ZiZi McKinnon, former Aviv patient

Aviv’s Holistic Approach

A holistic approach to recovery can include HBOT coupled with additional therapies for a more comprehensive treatment. Your holistic plan may include: 

• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)
• Cognitive training
• Physical training
• Nutritional coaching 

Our holistic medical protocol delivers incredible results, often greater than what research studies illustrate.

“The Aviv Medical Program can be successful because it addresses the cause of the symptoms, not just the symptoms alone. In combination with cognitive, physical, and nutritional coaching, some HBOT protocols can be very effective.” Dr. Mohammed Elamir, MD, FACP

“At your beck and call, you have a physician, dietitian, physical therapist… so many professional people who will help you. What came out was a plan for me—just for me.”  ZiZi McKinnon, former Aviv patient

“You get to work with everybody from the neurologist who works with you on brain games to the dietitian who helps you with your diet. For Lyme disease, that’s extremely important.” Lyndi Scott-Strite, former Aviv patient

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What makes Aviv’s HBOT protocol unique?

There are two key processes:

• First, we increase the oxygen level you breathe through a mask in the HBOT suite. As you breathe it in, your bloodstream sends this oxygen to tissue in your body that has been deprived of it. Oxygen-saturated blood can bypass blood vessels which have become clogged or narrowed with age. This gives the brain the energy it needs to turbocharge the healing process.
• Second, we fluctuate the level of oxygen you breathe when inside the HBOT suite. This variation in oxygen supply triggers your body’s own regenerative mechanisms.