Brampton Hyperbarics and Wound Care — serving Brampton, Peel Region, and the Greater Toronto Area.
Starting a long-term hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) program naturally raises questions. How many treatments will you need? Will it be uncomfortable? What actually happens inside the chamber? And how will you know whether it is working? If you are wondering about any of these things, you are in good company — most patients do.
At Brampton Hyperbarics and Wound Care, many patients arrive after a long healing journey: chronic non-healing wounds, post-surgical recovery, radiation tissue damage, diabetic foot ulcers, stubborn infections, burns, or injuries that need extra support to heal. Long-term HBOT is not a one-visit quick fix. It is a structured, physician-guided program — a little like physiotherapy for tissue healing. Every session contributes, monitoring is part of the process, and consistency matters.
This guide walks through what a long-term HBOT program typically looks like, from your first assessment to how progress is measured — so you can feel informed and prepared.
What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. Ordinary air is about 21% oxygen; during HBOT, you breathe 100% oxygen at a prescribed pressure higher than normal. According to Health Canada, the increased pressure allows extra oxygen to dissolve into your blood and plasma, which then carries it to tissues throughout the body — including injured, oxygen-deficient, swollen, infected, or slow-healing areas.
Brampton Hyperbarics and Wound Care describes HBOT as a way to bring oxygen-rich plasma to tissue starved for oxygen. The clinic notes that the additional oxygen may help the body fight infectious organisms and stimulate the release of growth factors that support healing, including the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis). These mechanisms are consistent with how Johns Hopkins Medicine describes HBOT: reducing swelling while flooding tissues with oxygen, supporting the body’s defenses against certain bacteria, and encouraging new blood vessels and collagen to form.
Why Long-Term HBOT Takes Time
A single session temporarily raises the oxygen available to your tissues. But many healing problems — chronic wounds in particular — need repeated support over time. That is why HBOT is scheduled as a series of visits, providing ongoing oxygenation that may support tissue repair, wound healing, infection control, and the growth of new blood vessels.
How much pressure and how many sessions depend on the condition being treated. Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that HBOT is delivered at air pressure roughly 1.5 to 3 times higher than average. The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) recognizes HBOT as an evidence-based therapy for a defined list of indications, with treatment pressures that vary by condition (commonly in the range of about 2.0 to 2.5 atmospheres absolute, and higher in some protocols).
For wound programs, treatments are often scheduled several times per week. A 2026 narrative review in Cureus reports that typical HBOT regimens use 2.0–2.5 ATA for 60–90 minutes per session, over a course of about 20–40 sessions, depending on the condition. That can sound like a lot at first, but for most people the routine becomes more manageable over time. Your care team will help you understand your schedule, the safety steps, and what to expect.
Before Your First Session: The Assessment
A good HBOT experience starts before you ever enter the chamber. Your first appointment is an assessment. Your physician and team will review your medical history and discuss why HBOT is being considered for you. Expect questions about your medications, prior surgeries, diabetes, smoking history, and any ear or sinus problems or trouble with air-pressure changes (for example, on flights).
If you are being treated for a wound, the team will examine its size, appearance, drainage, dressing, any signs of infection, and how long it has been present. This assessment helps ensure the treatment is appropriate and safe for you. It is also your chance to ask practical questions: Should I eat beforehand? What should I wear? What if my ears hurt? How will I know if I’m improving?
What a Typical Session Feels Like
Most people feel more relaxed after their first session, once they know what to expect. You will be made comfortable in the chamber. As the pressure rises, your ears may pop — similar to taking off in an airplane or driving through hilly terrain. Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that, in wound-healing protocols, the chamber pressure may rise to about 2.5 times normal air pressure, and that mild ear popping or slight discomfort can be normal.
Your team will show you safe techniques to equalize your ears, and you should speak up if anything hurts — they can slow down or adjust the pressure. Johns Hopkins notes that a session can last anywhere from about 30 minutes to 2 hours; many long-term wound sessions fall toward the longer end of that range. Patients often rest or even sleep during treatment. At the end, the chamber is gradually depressurized. Afterward you may feel fine, or slightly tired or lightheaded for a short time.
The First Few Weeks: Small Signs Matter
Progress with long-term HBOT is usually gradual. Tissue repair does not happen overnight. In the first week, success often simply means getting comfortable with the routine. By weeks two and three, your team may begin to note small but meaningful changes: improved wound colour, less swelling, healthier-looking tissue, less drainage, a smaller wound, better granulation tissue, less pain, or fewer signs of infection.
Research helps put these changes in context. A Cochrane systematic review of HBOT for chronic wounds included 12 randomized trials with 577 participants (most studying diabetic foot ulcers). For diabetes-related foot ulcers, the review found that HBOT appeared to improve the chance of healing in the short term (up to about six weeks), though this benefit was not evident at longer-term follow-up. The review also reported that HBOT may reduce the number of major amputations in some people with diabetic foot ulcers, while noting that the difference in amputation rates was not statistically significant and that the included trials had limitations.
These findings are encouraging, but they do not guarantee that every wound will respond the same way. Healing depends on many factors — circulation, infection control, ongoing wound care, pressure relief (offloading), nutrition, diabetes management, and overall health. That is why Brampton Hyperbarics and Wound Care emphasizes HBOT as one part of a comprehensive care plan, not a shortcut.
Fitting Treatment Into Real Life
Because long-term HBOT is delivered over many visits, it becomes part of your weekly routine. It helps to plan around work, school, transportation, childcare, meals, medications, and your other appointments. Being treated at a local clinic in Brampton can make that easier.
A few practical tips: treat your sessions as a standing commitment to your healing, add them to your calendar, arrange transportation early, follow your wound-care instructions between visits, and tell your team if anything changes. Consistency tends to make the whole process feel more manageable.
Safety Rules and Possible Side Effects
Because HBOT combines pure oxygen with increased pressure, the clinic follows strict safety rules. You may be asked to leave behind lotions, oils, petroleum-based products, electronics, lighters, matches, and other hazardous materials. These rules exist to protect you and everyone in the facility.
Most people tolerate HBOT well, but side effects are possible. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, these can include ear or sinus pressure, fatigue, and temporary changes in vision (such as short-term nearsightedness that usually resolves), with more serious oxygen-related complications being rare. Tell your team right away if you experience an intense earache, chest pain, dizziness, anxiety, or anything that feels abnormal during or after a session.
How Progress Is Measured
Tracking your progress is not guesswork. For wounds, the team typically documents measurements (length, width, and depth), photographs, dressing changes, drainage, pain, the appearance of the tissue, and any signs of infection — reviewing how the wound responds over each week of treatment.
HBOT is generally continued until the patient heals, is unable to tolerate treatment, or is no longer showing improvement. Documentation usually includes wound dimensions, tissue changes, and the concurrent wound care being provided. This kind of monitoring helps guide decisions and reassures patients that the plan is being adjusted to their body’s response.
Why Patients Choose Brampton Hyperbarics and Wound Care
When you are committing to a long-term healing program, it helps to have a team that explains the process clearly, listens to your concerns, monitors your progress, and sees healing as more than just the wound itself.
Brampton Hyperbarics and Wound Care is one of relatively few clinics in Ontario to offer both HBOT and dedicated wound care. The clinic works with conditions such as diabetic foot ulcers, delayed radiation tissue injury, chronic non-healing wounds, burns, infections, crush injuries, and selected skin grafts and flaps. The team focuses on safe, personalized, evidence-based care.
The Bottom Line
Long-term HBOT can feel daunting at first, but it usually becomes far less so once you understand the process: a thorough assessment, supervised sessions, clear safety instructions, ongoing progress monitoring, and a plan that adapts to how your body responds. The type, length, pressure, and schedule of treatment all depend on your condition and your medical plan.
Healing takes time. With structure, consistency, and the right support, that time can become a productive part of your recovery. If you or your provider are considering HBOT, talk with a physician about whether it may be appropriate for your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many HBOT sessions will I need?
It depends on your condition, the type and severity of the wound or injury, your medical history, and how you respond to treatment. Wound-care programs commonly involve around 20–40 sessions, but your physician will prescribe a plan tailored to you. - How long is each session?
A visit may take roughly 120 minutes in total, including preparation, the treatment itself, and gradual depressurization. Your clinic will give you the exact timing for your treatment. - Is HBOT painful?
HBOT is typically painless. The most common sensation is ear pressure during pressurization, similar to what you feel on an airplane. Your team will show you safe techniques to clear your ears and can adjust the pressure if you are uncomfortable. - Can I stop once I feel better?
Please do not stop without talking to your care team first. Programs are structured around healing goals and regular progress reviews, and stopping prematurely may disrupt the plan. Your team will help you understand when treatment can appropriately be concluded. - Do chronic wounds only need HBOT?
Usually no. HBOT is most effective as part of a comprehensive plan that also includes wound management, dressings, offloading (pressure relief), infection management, diabetes and circulation management, good nutrition, and specialist follow-up.
Medical Disclaimer
This article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not guarantee any particular outcome. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an adjunctive, evidence-based therapy whose suitability varies from person to person. Individual results depend on many factors. Always consult a qualified physician about your specific condition and whether HBOT may be appropriate for you.
References
- Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) — HBO Indications. UHMS list of approved HBOT indications; treatment pressures vary by condition (commonly around 2.0–2.5 ATA, higher in some protocols).
- Johns Hopkins Medicine — Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. HBOT delivered at air pressure about 1.5–3 times normal; mechanisms and possible side effects; sessions about 45 minutes to several hours depending on indication.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine — Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Wound Healing. In wound-healing protocols, chamber pressure may rise to about 2.5 times normal; sessions last about 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- González Flores JE, et al. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Modern Surgical Practice. Cureus. 2026;18(1):e102116. Narrative review reporting typical HBOT regimens of 2.0–2.5 ATA for 60–90 minutes over about 20–40 sessions.
- Kranke P, et al. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for treating chronic wounds. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015 (CD004123). 12 randomized trials, 577 participants; HBOT appeared to improve diabetic foot ulcer healing up to six weeks (not at long-term follow-up) and may reduce major amputations in some people.
- Health Canada — Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Overview of how HBOT works: breathing 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber so extra oxygen dissolves into blood and reaches tissues.
- Brampton Hyperbarics and Wound Care. Clinic information, conditions treated, and physician profiles (including Dr. Aliya Ramjaun). 55 Mountainash Road, Unit 23, Brampton, ON L6R 1W4; phone (365) 747-1470.
