The Efficacy of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Whole Body Cryotherapy on the Range of Motion and Health Related Quality of Life of Patients

Alternative therapies have often been the center of skepticism when being recommended as treatment options for chronic pain or recovery modalities for serious neural injuries. Within the last two decades, advances in technology were made for repetitive, non-invasive procedures that would help heal the injured faster than the normal rehabilitation time period. Many patients may prefer non-invasive treatments when possible as the healthcare model shifts towards recognizing and prioritizing health-related quality of life. The technologies of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC) are alternative modalities that are becoming increasingly recognized potential treatments ranging from neuropathic pain to osteoarthritic issues. These two alternative therapies show potential to significantly improve range of motion and health related quality of life of patients. Therefore, this paper presents a synthesis of literature regarding HBOT and WBC and their effects on range of motion and quality of life Articles were found with the keywords of the technologies and articles preceding 2001 were removed unless used to define terms historically. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy studies have displayed that bone fractures heal 30% faster than tradition allopathic intervention, is able to induce neuroplasticity, and shows a significant improvement in a patient’s health related quality of life. Whole Body Cryotherapy has shown significant improvements in both range of motion and health related quality of life for patients with arthritic or chronic pain symptoms. However, these technologies are limited by the lack of knowledge behind their long-term effects and how long the perceived effect can last. There is a need for longitudinal studies of patients with these therapies to understand all the effects fully.Nursin