Apr 8, 2009 7:39 pm US/Eastern
Go! New York Report: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
For centuries, people have searched for the fountain of youth.
Now, some think they've found it inside a hyperbaric chamber.
Oxygen is crucial for proper healing of the body's tissues, whether it's skin, muscle, or bone. Usually, simply breathing provides enough.
But a growing number of people are now using specialized air chambers to increase their oxygen flow in order to, hopefully, turn back the hands of time.
It may look other-worldly, but some say it's pure healing.
"We treat a variety of illnesses," pulmonologist Dr. Ralph Potkin says.
Dr. Potkin runs a center for hyperbaric medicine, where he treats patients in hyperbaric chambers that deliver oxygen at levels higher than atmospheric pressure.
Divers use it to treat the decompression illness commonly known as "the bends."
"Maybe 20 years ago, we realized that it had dramatic healing properties," Dr. Potkin says.
"The King of Pop," Michael Jackson, put hyperbarics in the headlines when he was photographed inside a chamber which some say he used to stay youthful.
In the eighties, Jackson was burned during an accident while filming a Pepsi commercial.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is commonly used for burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, bone infections, and serious wounds.
Off-label uses include treatments for migraines, anti-aging, cerebral palsy, and autism.
Rosie Ferri Carnevaletti was a patient of Dr. Potkins, and she lived to 101 years old.
"Granny was the type of person who had an adventurous spirit," her daughter says.
Carnevaletti's long battle with diabetes sent her into what she dubbed "the tube," but she returned every day because she loved how she felt afterwards.
"She felt more energized, her mental acuity was sharper," Carnevaletti's daughter says. "Her whole color was totally different."
Dr. Potkin says the process itself has anti-aging qualities.
You go in here for an hour – you can't have your beeper, you can't have your cell phone," Dr. Potkin says. "While you're getting all this relaxation, your body is being rejuvenated with pure oxygen."
The average hyperbaric oxygen treatment lasts between 30 and 90 minutes, and can range in price from $100 to $1,000 dollars.
Many insurance providers and Medicare will cover a limited number of treatments if they are for medically approved conditions.
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