Pain that interrupts less
Trials have assessed pain intensity and tenderness. At a consultation, describe when pain limits movement, work, or time with family so that any treatment goal is concrete.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia research & care · Scottsdale & Glendale, AZ
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for fibromyalgia
When pain, fatigue, and disrupted sleep shape your day, a treatment conversation should start with what matters to you.
At RX-O2, we help you explore the evidence for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, alongside your existing fibromyalgia care. Bring your questions, previous treatment experience, and the activities you would most like to regain.
Clinical trials, including the 2026 HOTFy study, report encouraging improvements in pain and daily function. Meet with our team to explore how this emerging approach may fit your fibromyalgia care.
Physician-led care in Scottsdale and Glendale, serving the Phoenix area.
Physician-ledIndividual assessment and treatment planning
FDA-cleared chambersMedical hard-shell hyperbaric equipment
100% medical oxygenDelivered through a mask or hood
NHSA-certified techniciansPreparation, monitoring, and communication
The starting point
Widespread pain deserves a whole-person discussion
Fibromyalgia can involve widespread pain and tenderness, fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, and difficulty concentrating. Researchers study how the nervous system processes pain, as well as the ways symptoms affect everyday function.
An HBOT consultation should build on your diagnosis and current treatment. Tell us about sleep, medications, activity tolerance, and overlapping conditions. Similar symptoms can have different causes, so your history matters more than a symptom checklist.
Keep established care in place. HBOT research has generally evaluated an additional intervention within a broader care plan. Decisions about medication, rehabilitation, and other treatment should remain coordinated with your treating clinicians.
Connect the research to your goals
What matters in daily life?
More manageable daily activity
Consider an activity you want to do with greater ease. Tracking function alongside pain can help you and your clinician judge whether a change is meaningful.
Sleep and quality of life
Some studies report changes in broader symptom and quality-of-life scores. These outcomes deserve attention, while recognizing that individual responses vary.
Your goals help shape the conversation and provide a useful way to follow progress if treatment is prescribed.
Explore the evidence
Fibromyalgia & HBOT research
Explore the findings behind the conversation. These selected publications highlight reported benefits, the patients studied, and the questions researchers are still working to answer.
Literature checked
October 20, 2026
2026 · Randomized delayed-treatment trial
HOTFy: benefits during treatment, with durability questions
da Mota Neto J, et al. BMJ Open. 2026;16:e112284.
Read the publicationThe trial randomized 56 women to early HBOT plus standard care or delayed HBOT. Forty-four completed the study. During the initial comparison, pain and fibromyalgia-impact scores improved more with combined treatment.
How to interpret it: There was no sham chamber group. After treatment stopped, some measures moved toward standard-care levels, while others retained improvement for several weeks. The findings do not establish a maintenance schedule or permanent benefit.
2023 · Randomized comparative trial
Fibromyalgia following traumatic brain injury
Ablin JN, et al. PLOS One. 2023;18:e0282406.
Read the publicationResearchers compared an HBOT course with pregabalin or duloxetine in people whose fibromyalgia followed traumatic brain injury. Pain and several functional and quality-of-life measures favored HBOT.
How to interpret it: The participants represented a specific subgroup, and the comparison was medication rather than sham HBOT. It does not establish the same effect for every form of fibromyalgia or justify stopping prescribed medication.
2015 · Randomized crossover trial
An early study of symptoms and pain processing
Efrati S, et al. PLOS One. 2015;10:e0127012.
Read the publicationSixty women entered a study comparing treatment with an observation period before crossover. Investigators reported improvements in symptoms and quality of life after HBOT, together with brain-imaging changes.
How to interpret it: The untreated observation period did not control for all effects of participating in chamber treatment. Imaging findings support investigation, but cannot by themselves prove the mechanism of symptom improvement.
What this means for your decision
The improvements reported in clinical trials make HBOT a worthwhile topic for a personalized conversation. Research is continuing to clarify who benefits most and how long changes last. Together, we can review your history, define meaningful goals, and discuss whether an adjunctive course is appropriate.
Plan with your care team
Define success before starting
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Review your starting point
Bring your diagnosis, medication list, prior therapies, and examples of a typical difficult day. Include fatigue or symptom flares after activity.
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Choose useful measures
Agree on a small set of goals, such as pain interference, sleep quality, or one daily activity. Record a baseline that you can compare with later visits.
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Plan the practical details
Discuss the time commitment, travel, costs, treatment risks, and when to reassess. Your clinician determines whether HBOT is appropriate and how a course should be prescribed.
Your consultation is an opportunity to ask about expected benefits, treatment experience, scheduling, costs, and follow-up. We review suitability with you and coordinate with your treating clinicians when appropriate.
The RX-O2 difference
A team and setting you can get to know
Medical oversight from the start
Medical Director Marvin A. Borsand, DO, FACOS, FACCS, HCC, leads clinical oversight. A licensed medical provider reviews suitability and prescribes treatment when appropriate.
Medical hyperbaric equipment
Our clinics use FDA-cleared hard-shell chambers. You breathe 100% medical oxygen through a mask or hood while the chamber is pressurized with air.
Preparation and communication
NHSA-certified hyperbaric technicians explain the visit and monitor treatment. Tell us about ear pressure, positioning, mobility, or confinement concerns before you arrive.
Before your visit
Fibromyalgia FAQs
What benefits have fibromyalgia studies reported?
Trials have reported improvements in pain, fibromyalgia-impact scores, and aspects of quality of life. Results vary, and longer-term benefit remains under investigation. We can help you relate these findings to your own symptoms and treatment history.
Is HBOT the same as oxygen at home?
No. HBOT combines prescribed oxygen with increased chamber pressure. Oxygen at normal room pressure and lower-pressure systems are different exposures, so findings cannot be transferred automatically between them.
Does my fibromyalgia have to follow a brain injury?
No, the broader research includes other fibromyalgia populations. However, the 2023 medication-comparison trial specifically studied people with a history of traumatic brain injury, which limits how broadly that result applies.
How many sessions will I need?
Published trials have used different courses. A study schedule is not an individual prescription, and a longer course does not guarantee a better result. Ask about the proposed reassessment points before committing to treatment.
Should I stop my usual fibromyalgia treatment?
Do not stop or change prescribed treatment on your own. Bring your current plan so that the hyperbaric clinician and your regular care team can discuss how any additional treatment would fit.
Where can I discuss HBOT for fibromyalgia near Phoenix?
RX-O2 offers consultations in Scottsdale and Glendale. Contact the location that works best for you, or ask your provider to send a referral. Review current pricing and coverage questions before starting a prescribed course.
Local care, two Valley locations
Explore HBOT in Scottsdale or Glendale
Looking for a hyperbaric consultation near Phoenix? RX-O2 offers two locations for patients across the Valley. Call the clinic closest to you for appointment availability and help planning repeat visits.
RX-O2 Scottsdale
9035 E Pima Center Parkway #11Scottsdale, AZ 85258
An East Valley option for patients in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, and nearby communities.
RX-O2 Glendale
5626 N 51st AvenueGlendale, AZ 85301
A West Valley option for patients in Glendale, Peoria, Phoenix, and nearby communities.
Take the next step toward a personalized plan
You do not have to interpret the research alone. Meet with our Scottsdale or Glendale team to discuss your goals, ask questions, and explore whether HBOT is right for you.
Sources & further reading
- da Mota Neto J, et al. BMJ Open. 2026;16:e112284. HOTFy trial of HBOT in fibromyalgia.
- Ablin JN, et al. PLOS One. 2023;18:e0282406. HBOT compared with medication for TBI-related fibromyalgia.
- Efrati S, et al. PLOS One. 2015;10:e0127012. Prospective HBOT trial in fibromyalgia.
Related reading: Chronic pain & CRPS · Fatigue & ME/CFS
Selected research checked October 20, 2026. Evidence continues to evolve. This educational overview supports a conversation with your treating clinician; individual results vary.
Read HBOT safety and treatment FAQs. Discuss treatment risks, medicines, implants, and relevant medical history with your clinician. Equipment clearance does not establish effectiveness for every condition.