There is an excitement at the Health Restoration Medical Center that can be seen in the patients, caregivers, and staff. It may be the realization that they are writing together a new chapter in the history of medicine. It may be the fact that four more patients walked last week for the first time since their stroke. Or it just might be that the clinic has terrific staff and patients that see life as a miracle, regardless of its challenges. Dr. Steenblock's holistic therapy is a pioneering endeavor in stroke rehabilitation. Other physicians for the past thirty years have achieved good results using hyperbaric oxygen for brain injury, but this clinic is the first to combine HBO with a comprehensive program including nutritional therapies, cardiovascular rehabilitation, physical therapy, biofeedback in addition to conventional treatment protocols. Such a program not only increases the potential for improvement, but also helps reduce the risk of further heart attack and strokes. Strokes are caused by a lack of oxygen to a part of the brain. Long term effects are caused by the continued lack of oxygen, the swelling of brain tissue and the accumulation of calcium within the damaged nerve cells. Dr. Steenblock's rehabilitation program is designed to bring oxygen back to these starved cells, reduce swelling, and remove the calcium from within the cells. As the calcium is removed, cells are given the nutrients they need in order to repair themselves.

The success of Dr. Steenblock's rehabilitation program for stroke and brain injury started in 1992 when his patient, Dorothy Conforti, suffered a stroke and was lying in the emergency room of a nearby hospital, totally paralyzed on her left side. She was brought to the Health Restoration Medical Center in an ambulance and was immediately placed in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. After 24 hours of receiving both hyperbaric oxygen and IV therapy, Dorothy walked out on her own power. After three more weeks of treatment she was able to drive around town in her car by herself.

With seemingly "miraculous" recoveries in both acute and chronic stroke cases, hyperbaric oxygen treatment is earning the reputation of being the state-of-the-art therapy for brain repair.

With hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the patient is placed in a chamber and breathes 100% oxygen by mask, while the pressure in the chamber is increased using compressed air. The combination of breathing oxygen through the mask while inside the chamber, causes two to three times the oxygen to be delivered to the body tissues; as compared to breathing 100% oxygen by mask alone. A hyperbaric (or high pressure) dose of oxygen offers the following benefits:

Increased oxygen delivery to the injury
Greater new blood vessel formation
Advanced wound healing
Improved infection control
Preservation of damaged tissues
Elimination of toxic substances
Reduction or elimination of obstruction by gas bubbles

Lena came from San Diego twice a week for physical therapy. She said that "the results have been worth it," and that the clinic helps an entire population that the "acceptable medical world" has all but given up on.

Seven years after having two strokes (one on each side of his brain) and despite the best therapies otherwise available, David was still almost totally paralyzed. He constantly drooled and used a stomach tube because he could not chew or swallow his food. With Dr. Steenblock's program, David has regained control of his mouth, head, arms, and legs.

Buzz said that he received more benefit in two weeks from hyperbaric oxygen therapy than he did in two years with other therapies.

Ed and Janet described the program as "progressive, effective, intensive, and challenging." Jim described the staff as excellent. Others grin as they call the PT "torture," but keep coming back for more because there is activity in the muscle fibers that wasn't there before.

A month after Troy had a stroke, his wife was courageous enough to take him to the clinic instead of leaving him at the hospital. After four weeks of intensive treatment he "miraculously" is returning to normal functioning.

More and more hospitals are beginning to offer hyperbaric oxygen treatment for strokes. HBO treatments are now used at Long Beach Memorial Hospital in Long Beach, California, for patients who have suffered a stroke within three days (acute cases).

Day after day, patients are defying the bleak predictions about their stroke recovery; partly due to the excellent program and partly due to their driving will power to walk again.

Together, Dr. Steenblock and his patients are writing a new chapter in the history of brain repair.

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