How Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Work?
In this educational monologue, Dr. David Perlmutter explains that although the brain makes up only 5% of body weight, it consumes 20% of the body's resting energy, a process that depends entirely on oxygen. Neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and the cumulative effects of small strokes impair the brain’s ability to produce energy, causing cells to become idle. By delivering high concentrations of oxygen under pressure in a hyperbaric chamber, these underperforming but viable cells can be re‑activated, leading to significant clinical improvements across a range of neurological disorders. Dr. Perlmutter also notes that Europe and Asia are far ahead of the United States in adopting hyperbaric oxygen therapy for brain health, highlighting a gap in clinical implementation.
