Summary
Dr. Greg Dennis interviews Dr. Jason Sonners, author of "Oxygen Under Pressure" and operator of hyperbaric clinics in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Dr. Sonners shares his personal origin story with HBOT, having suffered a disc herniation that left him with a full drop foot and neuropathy for 18 months. After a single 30-minute session at a conference produced the first sensation in his foot, he pursued treatment and achieved full recovery, which led him to dedicate his career to HBOT. The episode provides a practical breakdown of how HBOT works, distinguishing between the physical dosage of oxygen (direct energy production boost to all cell types) and the cell signaling effects (angiogenesis, stem cell release, collagen growth, fibroblast stimulation) that come from repeated oxygen cycling. Sonners explains that the cycling up and down of oxygen levels through repeated sessions is the primary driver of long-term tissue repair and regeneration. Clinical applications discussed include neuropathies of all kinds, MS, neurodegenerative conditions, Crohn's and colitis (described as internal non-healing wounds), fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, long-haul COVID, and chronic infections like Lyme disease. Sonners emphasizes that the 14 FDA-approved indications use the same mechanisms as the 100+ internationally recognized conditions, just for more severe presentations. He also discusses his personal wellness use at lower pressures and the importance of matching protocol intensity to condition severity.
Key Points
- Dr. Sonners recovered from an 18-month drop foot neuropathy using HBOT after all other treatments failed
- HBOT benefits come from two mechanisms: direct oxygen dosage boosting cellular energy, and cell signaling from oxygen cycling triggering repair factors
- The cycling of oxygen levels (up in chamber, down outside) drives stem cell release, angiogenesis, and tissue regeneration
- Crohn's and colitis respond well because they resemble internal non-healing wounds, sharing the same pathophysiology as external wound healing
- MS showed significant improvement in Dr. Sonners' own stepfather, including restored balance, narrowed gait, and reduced foot swelling
- About 85-90% of long-haul COVID patients respond favorably to HBOT, though optimal protocols vary by symptom type
- The same healing mechanisms work across all conditions; protocol intensity should match condition severity
- For general wellness, lower pressures with less oxygen (60-90% more than normal) are sufficient and appropriate
Key Moments
Personal recovery from drop foot neuropathy after 18 months of no improvement
Dr. Jason Sonners describes how a single 30-minute session in a hyperbaric chamber at a conference gave him pins and needles in his foot for the first time in 18 months after a herniated disc left him with full drop foot neuropathy.
"And they had a vendor hall and they had some chambers there. I had no idea what it was. It just looked cool. And they were doing sample sessions. So I asked if I could go in without really any expectation of what it would do. I spent about a half hour inside the chamber. I came out. I started walking around the vendor hall. And about 12, 15 minutes later, my foot started. I started getting like pins and needles in my foot. And that was the first time I had actually felt my foot in about 18 months."
How hyperbaric oxygen bypasses red blood cells to deliver oxygen through plasma
Dr. Sonners explains how hyperbaric oxygen therapy works by dissolving oxygen directly into blood plasma, bypassing the normal red blood cell oxygen-carrying mechanism and creating an almost unlimited reservoir for oxygen delivery.
"To give you an idea, you would have to go, in order to, if I lived at sea level and I wanted to create half the amount of pressure that I get from my lowest level of hyperbaric, I would have to go about 10 to 11 feet below sea level."
Hyperbaric oxygen stimulates stem cell release and new blood vessel growth
Dr. Sonners describes the cell signaling benefits of hyperbaric therapy beyond just oxygen delivery, including stimulation of angiogenesis, fibroblast growth, and stem cell mobilization from bone marrow.
"And so there's a very anabolic effect of hyperbaric oxygen on the cell signaling side. So as you get these fluctuations of oxygen levels in the body, there are all these secondary cell signaling effects that start happening."
Why hyperbaric should be used immediately after concussion and brain injury
Dr. Sonners argues that if hyperbaric oxygen therapy works for the most severe FDA-approved conditions, it should logically help with less severe versions of similar problems, advocating for earlier intervention rather than waiting until conditions become life-threatening.
"And even in those life-threatening and limb-threatening cases, the overwhelming majority of people respond very favorably to hyperbaric. We're using the same mechanisms. In other words, if you went through it to figure out why does hyperbaric help with necrotizing fasciitis? Why does hyperbaric help with diabetic neuropathy? Why does it help with these non-healing wounds? If you actually looked at the mechanisms..."
