OXYGEN, ONE OF THE MOST ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF LIFE, OFFERS A NATURAL AND OFTEN QUICKER PATHWAY TO HEALING WHEN ADMINISTERED UNDER PRESSURE, A TECHNIQUE KNOWN AS HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY (HBOT). FROM REPAIRING SOFT-TISSUE INJURIES TO RELIEVING THE SYMPTOMS OF STROKE, AUTISM, LYME DISEASE, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND MEMORY LOSS AFTER SURGERY, HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY’S HEALTH BENEFITS ARE GAINING THE ATTENTION OF THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY.

THIS FEDERAL DRUG ADMINISTRATION - and American Medical Association–approved treatment delivers 100 percent medical-grade oxygen at higher than atmospheric pressure to the body, penetrating every cell and oxygenating the blood to more than 2,000 times the normal levels, bypassing blocked arteries and vessels to promote healing, boost the immune system, cut inflammation and rejuvenate the body.

“Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one of the major contributions to health care in the 21st century,” said Dr. Ralph Potkin, owner and medical director of Malibu Hyperbaric Medical Center. “The healing power of oxygen under pressure is well-documented and supported by scientific research and clinical trials,” he said.

“During HBOT, high levels of oxygen dissolve into the blood, plasma and tissues. The treatment allows oxygen to reach areas where there is little blood flow due to inflammation, injury, infection or disease. HBOT promotes the growth of new blood vessels, which enhances blood flow, tissue growth and the body’s ability to heal,” he added.

Board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary diseases, critical care and hyperbaric medicine, Dr. Potkin’s first exposure to hyperbaric oxygen therapy was as a scuba diver.

“As a scuba diver for 40 years, I had always been interested in studying marine biology and air-breathing mammals. In medical school, I was very interested in breathing issues,” he explained. Combining his hobby, passion and medical expertise in lung problems, Dr. Potkin began to scientifically investigate medical problems related to diving: decompression illness — “the bends” — and the effects of oxygen on the body.

“I researched hyperbaric oxygen therapy and how it could be used to effectively treat patients,” said Dr. Potkin, a clinical professor of medicine at UCLA School of Medicine, past clinical chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the medical director of the Beverly Hills Center for Hyperbaric Medicine, as well as past president of the Pacific Chapter of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. “Over the years, I've done extensive research and published numerous medical journal articles. I eventually expanded the use of HBOT to many medical conditions which were not responding to conventional medical therapies,” he said.

Musician Natalie Glickman is one example. Having contracted Lyme disease from a tick bite, Glickman’s health deteriorated to the point where she could not drive or care for herself, putting a halt to her musical career and causing her to drop out of Columbia University and move in with her mother.

“I lost my memory, my ability to speak; I had arthritis, joint pains,” said Glickman. “I wasn’t able to walk anymore. I had to use a wheelchair anywhere that I went.”

Referred to Dr. Potkin by a mutual associate, Glickman began hyperbaric treatment and experienced “a complete turnaround” in a few weeks. “Since I have been in hyperbaric treatment in combination with antibiotic treatment, I’ve been able to start playing again; it pretty much gave me my life back,” said Glickman.

Malibu resident Linda Wendkos credits HBOT with bringing her husband back to her.

“My husband went in for minor surgery and had a stroke on the table. His breathing, his lungs were stressed after the stroke. … We tried every remedy possible to improve his condition: major rehab, respiratory therapy and actual physical therapy,” said Wendkos. “But the thing that really worked was oxygen therapy. He improved immediately. And his cognitive function returned … I had my boy back which was wonderful. So I can’t say enough positive things about hyperbaric therapy — and it’s natural.”

In 1995, Dr. Potkin opened the Beverly Hills Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and has provided HBOT services to many area hospitals, including Cedars-Sinai. The high demand for and success with HBOT led him to establish the Malibu Hyperbaric Medical Center in May of 2008.

“We’ve been able to help those who’ve had little success with traditional medical care,” he said. “The dramatic success stories are causing doctors, patients and families to become more aware.”

During the approximately 1-hour treatment, in which one lies down on a comfortable bed in a clear Plexiglas-enclosed chamber, one can watch a movie, read or just relax while breathing the pressurized oxygen. Some conditions will have immediate results, and others will progressively improve during the course of weeks or months.

“We treat patients undergoing surgery such as facelift, liposuction, tummy tuck, breast reduction and augmentation, and feel they can all benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy,” said Dr. Potkin. “After any cosmetic surgery procedure there is tissue that has undergone some trauma. Often enough, oxygen cannot reach these damaged areas and this slows down the healing process. We do a treatment one day before the surgery and then schedule three to five treatments after the surgery. Pre-treatment alters the inflammatory process and reduces it substantially. It helps the healing process. HBOT is also found to be beneficial for many serious medical conditions such as osteomyelitis, tissue damage and circulatory problems, as well as autism and Lyme disease,” explained Dr. Potkin.

Current clinical studies demonstrate positive effects for treating autism; other studies involve using HBOT to treat migraines, cerebral palsy, stroke, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Tremendous interest also exists in treating drug addictions with hyperbaric oxygen and as a chemical detoxification agent.

“My branch of medicine is a bit misunderstood, even in the medical community,” said Dr. Potkin. “Most medical schools do not offer this training,” he said, noting that people should be aware that ads for O2 facials, sprays, tanks or oxygen bars are not the same as oxygen under pressure, or hyperbaric oxygen. “This administration, in a special chamber, uses pressurized oxygen, to increase the flow of oxygen to the body, which has dramatic healing properties,” he said, adding that he hopes to expand the uses of hyperbaric oxygen.

“Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the most important addition and contribution to medical therapies in the 21st century,” he said. “Its applications are just beginning to be explored.”

Prescriptions and referrals from primary care physicians are encouraged; however, direct patient referrals are accepted and independent medical evaluations can also be conducted at the Malibu Hyperbaric Medical Center.

Malibu Hyperbaric Medical Center is located at 23712 Malibu Road, in Malibu. Dr. Potkin can be reached at 310.317.9797