What are Clinically Accepted Indications for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)?
Like any other legitimate medical treatment, HBOT is “accepted” by the Food and Drug Administration – meaning that it is considered to be an acceptable medical process under certain conditions.
According to the FDA, there are 14 clinically accepted indications for HBOT. They are:
- Air or gas embolism
- Acute traumatic ischemia
- Burns
- Carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation
- Diabetic foot ulcers
- Exceptional blood loss
- Decompression sickness
- Gas gangrene
- Necrotizing infections
- Severe anemia
- Skin grafts and flaps
- Wound healing
In any of these cases, HBOT is a legal, effective treatment procedure that will be covered by most health insurance plans and workers’ compensation coverage.
However, HBOT is also used to treat several other medical issues. While they have not been formally “accepted” by the FDA, they are considered “off-label” uses.
The “off-label” certification from the FDA means that a certain drug or procedure is capable of treating more than just what it was originally intended for. For example, if a drug is accepted by the FDA to relieve high blood pressure, but doctors start to notice that the drug also lowers cholesterol, then cholesterol would be considered an “off-label” indication for the drug.
The same theory applies to HBOT.
Some of the more common “off-label” indications for HBOT include:
- ADHD
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Autism
- Cancer
- Cerebral Palsy
- Diabetes
- Fibromyalgia
- Lyme Disease
- Macular Degeneration
- Migraines
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Sports injuries
- Strokes
In these cases, many insurance carriers will cover HBOT treatments. However, indications have to meet strict guidelines to fall into this “off-label” category. According to the FDA, to be considered “off-label”, the treatment has to have solid scientific data that proves its effectiveness. All of the off-label indications listed here have undergone extensive research, and, in many cases, are undergoing continuing research.
When it comes to medical problems that are neither accepted nor considered off-label, some insurance companies will only agree to pay for HBOT treatment after other procedures have been tried – and failed.
In order to make HBOT a more widespread form of treatment in the U.S., scientists are continually studying the effects of HBOT on other issues. With all of the research, the list of clinically accepted indications for HBOT may eventually expand.
As would be expected, the U.S. has the strictest guidelines for HBOT in the world. In other countries, HBOT is a much more common treatment. Many American doctors and scientists are hoping that HBOT becomes much more common here, too.
