It’s not because of new clinical studies. It’s economics. Hockey and basketball franchises use hyperbaric chambers to bring players back from the injury list quickly. By increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood and hence in tissues,the treatment stimulates production of collagen, a protein that helps heal wounds. An aching Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns climbed into a hyperbaric chamber last month. “Now I know what it feels like to be an airhead,” Sir Charles has said. Another push is coming from insurers trying to cut costs in treating diabetics. Complications often cause gangrene and ulcerations. Twenty hyperbaric treatments, at $150 a session, can increase the oxygen supply at the wound enough to stave off amputations.
