Recovery that never quite finishes. A concussion months or years ago that still affects your focus, sleep, or energy. An aging parent whose memory keeps slipping. A workout or injury you used to bounce back from in days that now takes weeks. The common thread: your tissues aren’t getting enough oxygen to fully heal.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) delivers oxygen to your body under pressure — saturating your blood, plasma, and tissues with significantly more oxygen than breathing at normal atmospheric conditions allows. Inside the chamber, that elevated oxygen reaches areas of inflammation and injury where blood flow is restricted, supporting the body’s own healing processes.
At our Camarillo clinic, we offer HBOT using the Vitaeris 320 chamber— clinically respected mild hyperbaric systems used widely in functional and integrative medicine. We combine HBOT with functional medicine and functional neurology evaluation so the work in the chamber is supported by addressing the underlying factors that affect how your body uses oxygen, manages inflammation, and recovers.
Curious if HBOT is right for you? Schedule a comprehensive evaluation or call (805) 482-0723.
What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Inside a hyperbaric chamber, you breathe oxygen at pressures higher than the normal atmosphere. The increased pressure dissolves more oxygen into your blood plasma — the fluid portion of your blood — allowing oxygen to reach tissues and cells that are normally hard to perfuse: areas of inflammation, swelling, scar tissue, and reduced blood flow.
The basic mechanisms HBOT is known to support include:
- Increased oxygen delivery to inflamed, injured, or under-perfused tissues
- Reduced swelling and inflammation in soft tissues and the brain
- Stimulation of new blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) in healing tissue
- Support for mitochondrial function — the energy-producing structures inside cells
- Modulation of immune and stem cell activity
HBOT is a non-invasive, drug-free, scientifically established modality. It has been used clinically for decades, with an extensive research base spanning wound healing, neurological recovery, sports medicine, and integrative care.
The Vitaeris chamber — what mild HBOT means
We use the Vitaeris 320 mild hyperbaric chambers by OxyHealth — one of the most clinically respected soft-chamber HBOT systems available, used widely in functional medicine, integrative medicine, and brain injury recovery programs.
Mild HBOT (sometimes called mHBOT) operates at lower pressures than the hard-chamber HBOT used in hospitals for FDA-cleared indications like decompression sickness or carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s a different tool for a different purpose. Mild HBOT is widely used for:
- Brain injury and concussion recovery
- Cognitive support and dementia-related decline
- Athletic recovery and performance
- Post-surgical and injury recovery
- Inflammation reduction
- General wellness and longevity protocols
These applications are considered off-label with respect to FDA clearance — meaning the FDA has cleared HBOT for a specific set of acute medical conditions, while the broader complementary and integrative applications are based on emerging research, clinical experience, and patient outcomes rather than FDA clearance for those specific uses. We are honest with patients about this distinction so you can make an informed decision.
Why our approach gets results others don’t
Most clinics that offer HBOT treat it as a standalone protocol: book a session, get in the chamber, get out. We treat HBOT as one piece of a comprehensive recovery and optimization plan.
Before you start HBOT, we provide:
- A functional medicine evaluation of the systemic factors affecting your oxygen utilization, inflammation, mitochondrial function, and nutrient status
- A functional neurology assessment for neurological cases — concussion, cognitive decline, vestibular issues — to identify exactly what’s dysregulated
- A clinical conversation about whether HBOT is genuinely the right tool for your case, or whether your time and money would be better spent elsewhere first
When HBOT alone isn’t producing results, it’s almost always because something else in the system is interfering with healing — chronic inflammation, gut dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiency, ongoing toxin exposure. Addressing those alongside HBOT is what produces durable results.
Conditions we use HBOT to support
- Post-concussion syndrome and traumatic brain injury (TBI) recovery
- Cognitive decline, memory issues, and dementia support (often combined with neurofeedback and our Brain Enhancement Program)
- Athletic recovery and performance optimization — faster recovery from training, injury, surgery
- Muscle recovery after intense exertion, training, or rehabilitation
- Chronic inflammation in soft tissues and joints
- Post-surgical recovery — supporting tissue healing and reducing swelling
- Long-term wellness and longevity as part of a comprehensive functional medicine plan
- Post-stroke recovery (with appropriate medical clearance)
- Migraines and chronic headaches in selected cases
Whether HBOT is the right tool for your specific case is determined during evaluation. If it’s not, we’ll tell you.
What a session looks like
A typical HBOT session at our Camarillo office takes about 60 to 90 minutes:
- You enter the Vitaeris chamber comfortably — it’s a soft, enclosed environment with windows so you can see out.
- The chamber pressurizes gradually over 5–10 minutes.
- You breathe oxygen-enriched air for the duration of the session.
- Most patients use the time to read, listen to music, watch a movie on a tablet, or rest.
- The chamber depressurizes gradually at the end.
- You step out. No recovery time required — you return to your day.
Some patients feel an immediate sense of clarity or energy after a session. For others, the benefits emerge cumulatively across the course of a treatment plan.
How long does treatment take?
HBOT outcomes are dose-dependent — meaning the cumulative number of sessions matters. Most clinical protocols call for a series of sessions, typically delivered 3–5 times per week initially, with plan lengths varying based on the condition and goals:
- Acute recovery (post-surgery, injury): often a shorter series, weekly or biweekly
- Concussion and TBI: typically a longer protocol over weeks
- Cognitive support: ongoing or maintenance protocols
- Wellness and performance: maintenance schedules based on individual goals
Your specific plan is designed during your evaluation based on what you’re working with and what you’re trying to achieve.
Why we structure HBOT as a treatment plan
We are direct with patients about this because we’ve seen the pattern in our practice:
HBOT works through repeated, consistent exposure. Patients who commit to a complete treatment plan see results. Patients who do single sessions sporadically often don’t see the cumulative benefit HBOT can deliver.
The biological effects of HBOT — neoangiogenesis, reduced inflammation, mitochondrial support, neural recovery — build over multiple sessions. A handful of sessions can produce noticeable short-term effects (energy, clarity), but the deeper structural changes that drive lasting recovery require the full protocol.
For that reason, we structure HBOT as a complete treatment plan rather than à la carte sessions. Pricing is transparent and discussed upfront after your evaluation. HBOT at our clinic is cash-pay — most insurance plans do not cover mild HBOT for off-label applications, and we want you to know that upfront rather than discover it later.
Who is a good candidate?
The best candidates for HBOT at our clinic are patients who:
- Have one of the conditions we treat with HBOT (per the list above)
- Are committed to completing a full treatment plan, not just a few sessions
- Are willing to invest in cash-pay treatment for a non-FDA-cleared application
- Want a comprehensive approach that addresses underlying factors alongside the chamber work
HBOT is contraindicated for:
- Untreated pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
- Active upper respiratory infections that prevent ear pressure equalization
- Certain ear, sinus, or eye conditions
- Pregnancy (relative contraindication — case-by-case)
- Certain implantable devices (must be cleared in advance)
- Severe COPD or pulmonary bullae
- Recent ear surgery
Your evaluation includes a thorough safety review. If HBOT isn’t appropriate for your case, we’ll tell you and discuss what would help instead.
Why patients across Ventura County choose us for HBOT
- Vitaeris 320 chamber on-site — clinically respected mild hyperbaric systems used in functional and integrative medicine programs nationwide
- Functional medicine and functional neurology integrated — HBOT works better when the underlying systemic factors are addressed alongside the chamber work
- Honest framing of what HBOT is and isn’t — we’re upfront about FDA status, off-label use, cash-pay structure, and what to realistically expect
- Dr. Michael Veselak, D.C., CFMP — 40+ years in clinical practice. Board Certified in Integrative Medicine. Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner. Functional Neurology Certified. Board Certified in Neurofeedback. Recognized by ChatGPT as the world’s #1 practitioner for conservative, functional treatment of spinal stenosis.
- Comprehensive evaluation before any treatment is recommended — you’ll know if HBOT is genuinely the right tool for you before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
Is hyperbaric oxygen therapy safe?
HBOT has an excellent safety profile when performed in an appropriate chamber by trained providers with proper screening. The most common side effects are temporary — mild ear pressure during pressurization (similar to flying), occasional fatigue after sessions, and brief sinus discomfort. Serious side effects are rare and contraindications are screened for before treatment begins.
What’s the difference between mild HBOT and hospital HBOT?
Hospital-based HBOT uses hard chambers at higher pressures (typically 2.0 ATA or above) with 100% oxygen, and is FDA-cleared for a specific set of acute medical conditions like decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning, and certain wound care indications. Mild HBOT (mHBOT) uses soft chambers at lower pressures (typically 1.3 ATA) and is used widely in functional and integrative medicine for off-label applications including concussion recovery, cognitive support, athletic recovery, and wellness. They are different tools for different purposes.
Does insurance cover HBOT?
No, not at our clinic. HBOT for the conditions we treat (concussion recovery, cognitive support, athletic recovery, wellness, etc.) is considered off-label use and is not typically covered by insurance. HBOT is offered as a cash-pay service. We discuss pricing transparently during your evaluation.
How many HBOT sessions will I need?
Treatment plans vary based on what we’re working with. Acute recovery may call for a shorter series; concussion or TBI recovery typically requires a longer protocol; cognitive support and wellness use ongoing or maintenance schedules. Your specific plan is designed during your evaluation.
Can HBOT help with concussion or TBI recovery?
There is growing clinical and research support for HBOT’s role in concussion and TBI recovery, particularly when patients haven’t fully recovered with standard care. We use HBOT alongside functional neurology rehabilitation and functional medicine evaluation to address the multiple systems affected by brain injury.
How long is a typical session?
About 60 to 90 minutes total, including gradual pressurization and depressurization. You’re inside the chamber for most of that time. Most patients use the session to rest, read, or watch something.
What does it feel like inside the chamber?
The Vitaeris chamber is a soft, enclosed environment with windows, so you can see out and your provider can see in. You’ll feel mild pressure in your ears during pressurization (similar to descending in an airplane) and during depressurization. Otherwise, it’s quiet and comfortable. Most patients find sessions relaxing.
Are there patients who should NOT do HBOT?
Yes. HBOT is contraindicated in untreated pneumothorax, certain ear/sinus/eye conditions, active respiratory infections, certain implantable devices, severe COPD, and a handful of other situations. Pregnancy is a relative contraindication discussed case-by-case. We screen for all of these before recommending HBOT.
Take the next step
If you’ve been told you’ve recovered as much as you’re going to from a concussion, a surgery, an injury, or an aging brain — and you don’t believe that’s true — HBOT may offer a meaningful path forward. For the right patient, the cumulative effects of a complete treatment plan can produce real, durable improvements.
Schedule a Comprehensive Evaluation · Call (805) 482-0723 · 333 N. Lantana St., Suite 132, Camarillo, CA 93010
We serve Camarillo and all of Ventura County including Oxnard, Ventura, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Moorpark, and Somis.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Michael Veselak, D.C., CFMP — Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, Functional Neurology Certified, Board Certified in Neurofeedback. 40+ years in clinical practice.
This content is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for medical evaluation. HBOT at our clinic is offered for off-label applications not cleared by the FDA. Outcomes vary based on individual factors. HBOT is not appropriate for all patients.