As I continue this personal HBOT journey, now moving into Week 7, I’m genuinely amazed at the profound difference the chamber has made. For years, I’d only used it ad hoc, feeling slight benefits, but nothing close to the level I’m experiencing now with this consistent approach. This has truly been a game-changer.

Let’s start with my chest issues. They have totally cleared up, and honestly, thank goodness! I had made no headway through the NHS, and I actually dread to think if I would still be struggling on had I not marched forward with consistent HBOT.

But where I am truly noticing the most significant difference is with my long-standing groin injury. This dates all the way back to 2019 when I ran the Loch Ness Marathon. It was a bad idea, as the groin had already started to give me issues in training, but I had raised money for The Oxygen Works and simply couldn’t let all my sponsors down. Six years on, and that nagging injury was still there, restricting me from running anywhere near the distances I used to and contributing to a slower pace. I’d tried everything: resting it, various rehab programmes, countless stretching routines, and even used the chamber for a session when it got particularly bad.

Now, all the elements seem to be making a tangible difference, so much so that I’m signing up for a Duathlon in September! It has been years since I’ve felt able to even consider signing up for an event, for fear of the injury flaring up too badly. I’m slowly but surely increasing my speed, introducing the bike also, and managing a higher intensity level, and my injury appears to be healing.

I put this remarkable difference down to the initial block of 5 sessions over 8 days. It aligned perfectly with how the treatment works best: cumulatively. As I’ve learned, “all trials done on HBOT are done over a short intense almost daily period”. Even the MS therapy protocol recommends “20 initial sessions over 4 weeks to begin, working slowly down the pressure until you notice benefit and sticking to whatever pressure best works for you”.

The reason for this intense block and the personalised pressure approach is because “everyone is different and we all react differently so theoretically the highest pressure should give the greatest benefit, this is not always the case”. The cumulative effect of consistent therapy allows the body to build on the benefits. Today was actually my ninth session, and after that initial intensive block, I’m now aiming to get a session in every 7-10 days to maintain and build on these amazing results.

Of course, it’s worth noting that I do not have any underlying conditions that I am aware of, “so the chances are my body would respond differently than someone living with Lymes or Fibromyalgia”.

This journey has been incredibly eye-opening. What was once an ad-hoc supplement is now proving to be a cornerstone in my recovery, reminding me that sometimes, consistency is the true key to unlocking profound change. Here’s to more healing and to that Duathlon finish line!