Oxygen Therapy

Why We Use Supplemented Oxygen

Your brain and nervous system need two things to survive: fuel and activation.  Fuel comes in the form of glucose and oxygen.  You get the glucose from the food you eat BUT as you age, your ability to utilize oxygen decreases.  In our physical therapy department we use supplemented oxygen with exercise (E.W.O.T) with some of our patients to help them heal faster and get longer lasting results.

The objective of Functional Neurology is to restore balance to regional neuronal activity and normalize function.  An example of Functional Neurology being applied to treat chronic pain is the use of an oxygen concentrator while the patient is on decompression or doing exercise.  The cerebellum which is the back part of our brain is the most oxygen dependant structure in our brain, for that matter, our whole body.  Our brain is about 8% of our bodies mass but it consumes 20% of the oxygen used by our body and the cerebellum uses the most in our brain.  The cerebellum is very sensitive to things like toxins and oxygen levels.  This is why if someone drinks too much alcohol they can experience slurred speech, blurred vision, dizziness, and not be able to walk straight.  This is cerebellum dysfunction.  One of the jobs of the cerebellum is to control the intrinsic muscles of the spine.  These muscles are responsible for stabilizing the spine.  If cerebellum regulation of the spine stabilizers is impaired this can result in instability leading to chronic pain and flair ups.  This is why we use supplemented oxygen and other Functional Neurology treatments to improve cerebellum function.  If your cerebellum doesn’t work well your back and neck won’t either!

Brain activity – Dr. Andrew Scholey, Division of Psychology, University of Northumbria: “Extra oxygen has been shown to enhance mental performance and memory recall in healthy active adults in several clinical studies”. Ref. Pmid: 10604851 (pubmed – indexed for medline)’

“Extra oxygen enables you to recover more quickly from exertion. It allows someone to train and then exercise again.” – Dr. John Brewer, head of sports science at Lilleshall Human Performance Centre: Health and Fitness 1999.

“Oxygen “Increases alertness, improves the body’s ability to burn fat and enhances physical performance.” – Howard Robbins D.P.M, for The Journal.

Other Benefits:

Stay Strong

Fatigue has been reported by several studies as one of the most common symptoms experienced by people worldwide*.

*”Boosting Your Energy” A Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publications, 2006

Every breath you take converts to energy.  Human cells use nutrients from food and oxygen to create adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy source that fuels cell function.  If your cells receive too little oxygen, they produce less energy.  If your cells need more energy, they use more oxygen. That’s why your breathing rate increases when you exercise.

Stay Alert

Unlike muscles, your brain cannot store energy. It needs a steady flow of nutrients and oxygen to function normally.  Oxygen deficiency can decrease your alertness, memory and judgment.  Conditions that can reduce blood oxygen levels include:

• air pollution
• traveling to a higher elevation
• breathing stale air that has less than the normal 20-21% oxygen.

“Insufficient oxygen means insufficient biological energy that can result in anything from mild fatigue to life threatening disease. The link between insufficient oxygen and disease has now been firmly established.”

— Dr. W. Spencer Way, journal of the American association of physicians

What are the main benefits of using oxygen?

Studies have shown that oxygen helps:

• Stimulate brain activity
• Increase memory capacity
• Boost concentration
• Develop stronger alertness
• Raise energy levels
• Improve strength
• Build endurance
• Detox your blood
• Reduce stress
• Calm anxiety
• Alleviate tension headaches
• Remedy irregular sleeping patterns
• Help with cardiovascular activity
• Prevent lactic acid build up
• Strengthen the immune system

Jeffrey's Story

More Energy, Less Fatigue and Allergies Diminished

I came to Olympic Spine & Sports Therapy when I started experiencing a pinching pain in my lower back. This concerned me because my father has also suffered from back problems for years so I wanted to take care of the problem before it got out of control. Since treating at Olympic Spine & Sports Therapy, my pain is gone, I’m able to golf again and have more energy than ever. I didn’t realize how fatigued my body was until I started receiving treatments and feeling the difference. Surprisingly enough, my allergies have diminished as well; I no longer have to take Claritin just to get me through the day.   — Jeffrey W., Lynnwood