Hyperbaric medicine has a marketing problem from both directions: promoters oversell it, and skeptics dismiss even its established uses. Both are wrong. Five corrections:
Myth 1: "HBOT cures everything"
No therapy does. HBOT has 14 FDA-recognized indications with strong evidence, a set of off-label uses with promising-but-unsettled research, and plenty of claims with no good evidence at all. A trustworthy clinic tells you which bucket your condition is in. We publish our evidence grades on every condition page.
Myth 2: "It is all placebo and hype"
Tell that to a diver with the bends or a patient whose radiation-damaged jaw finally healed. For its core indications, HBOT is standard, insurance-covered medicine with decades of trials behind it. The hype problem is real, but it does not erase the science.
Myth 3: "A soft chamber at a spa is the same thing"
Soft-sided chambers reach 1.3 atmospheres, usually on compressed air. Clinical HBOT delivers 100% oxygen at 2.0–2.8 atmospheres — several times the oxygen dose. They are different products. Ask any facility two questions: what pressure, and what gas?
Myth 4: "More sessions are always better"
Protocols exist for a reason. Each indication has an evidence-based dose, and exceeding it adds oxygen-toxicity risk without added benefit. Anyone selling you an open-ended subscription is selling, not treating.
Myth 5: "It is dangerous"
In accredited facilities with physician screening, serious complications are rare, and the most common side effect is ear pressure like a flight. The safety record is excellent precisely because good clinics respect the contraindications — see our safety center for the unvarnished list.
Questions about your situation?
Free consultation, honest answer — even if the answer is "not HBOT."