Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: How it boosts healing and why it has benefits even if you're perfectly healthy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is known as a potentially life-saving treatment for a number of medical conditions and effective for any type of healing, for instance, after surgery.

It's also used by athletes to enhance recovery after intense physical exertion or injuries.

But the appeal of 'HBOT' is extending far beyond these uses and will boost your health in general, says Toren Wing, founder of Wings Hyperbarics in the Cape Town suburb of Noordhoek.

How hyperbaric oxygen therapy works:

The concept is simple, yet powerful: inside a specially designed chamber, individuals breathe pure oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure. This allows oxygen to dissolve more efficiently into the bloodstream, reaching areas of the body where circulation is limited. The result is a cascade of benefits – enhanced tissue repair, reduced inflammation, and improved cellular function.

Wing likens this pressurised metal vessel to a gas cylinder but for human occupation or the pressure inside a tyre.

It's also closely linked to diving, he says.

"With diving, as you descend through the water, you increase the pressure on your body... and, like anything in health, when you do something slightly extreme, your body reacts to that, and it engages processes that give you the ability to heal."

In the Wings hyperbaric chamber, you'll essentially go down to the level of around 14 metres.

"That is what we call 2.4 ATA, or Atmosphere Absolute, and what happens inside the lungs is that it forces the oxygen into your blood supply, and rather than just flying through the red blood cells in your body, the oxygen is actually pushed into the plasma of your blood, which means it gets forced into every tiny capillary and each and every cell of the body."

"Diseased cells often don't have enough oxygen in them, and, by forcing the oxygen in, you get to a situation where those cells start to operate properly and healing happens."

Does the experience feel anything like diving? SJ asks.

Once the pressure starts, you will feel it on your ears, Wing explains. He gives the assurance that as soon as you equalise, your ears will be fine.

Prospective clients are also screened very carefully for any risk factors, which are extemely limited, he says.

"Even if you're perfectly healthy you come out of there and your athletic performance will improve and the feeling of health is just a wonderful thing."

To find out more, visit the website at www.wingshyperbarics.com, or follow them on Instagram.

To listen to Toren Wing in conversation with Sara-Jayne Makwala King on CapeTalk's Weekend Breakfast, click on the audio link below: