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Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for PTSD & veterans’ health
PTSD & veterans’ health research & care · Scottsdale & Glendale, AZ
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for PTSD & veterans’ health
Veterans and others living with trauma-related symptoms deserve a careful discussion grounded in both evidence and personal goals.
RX-O2 offers a physician-led conversation about the evidence, your diagnosis, and the role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in your broader care plan. Our Scottsdale and Glendale teams serve patients across the Phoenix area.
Recent studies report encouraging improvements in trauma-related symptoms, sleep, and daily well-being. RX-O2 offers a supportive setting to explore whether an adjunctive hyperbaric assessment fits your goals.
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
Keep trauma care and brain injury care connected
PTSD and persistent symptoms after traumatic brain injury can overlap, including sleep disturbance, concentration difficulty, and irritability. Research in people with both conditions may not apply to PTSD without brain injury.
A trauma-informed discussion includes existing therapy, medication, sleep, support, and comfort with the chamber environment. Established mental health care should continue while additional options are considered.
The clinical context matters. An observational program can identify improvement without proving that HBOT caused it. Randomized trials with suitable controls are needed to separate treatment effects from other influences.
Connect the research to your goals
What matters in daily life?
Sleep and symptom tracking
Review sleep, distress, and daily function using measures agreed with your treating team.
Treatment tolerance
Discuss confinement concerns, triggers, and what support would make an assessment comfortable.
Your goals help shape the conversation and provide a useful way to follow progress if treatment is prescribed.
Explore the evidence
PTSD & veterans’ health & 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 · Prospective observational study
A 2026 veteran program evaluation
Levitt G, et al. Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy. 05/21/2026.
Read the publicationOf 87 invited veterans, 50 completed baseline, midpoint, and posttreatment surveys. Participants reported lower PTSD symptom scores, with improvements described at follow-up.
How to interpret it: This was a single-arm observational evaluation. Missing surveys, selection, and other care limit causal conclusions and generalizability.
2018 · Randomized, sham-controlled trial
A military sham-controlled trial with limited durability
Weaver LK, et al. Undersea & hyperbaric medicine : journal of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, Inc. 2018 Mar-Apr.
Read the publicationIn a trial of 71 service members with persistent symptoms after mild TBI, HBOT improved some post-concussive and PTSD measures at 13 weeks, particularly in the PTSD subgroup.
How to interpret it: The improvements regressed at later follow-up and did not persist beyond six months. A subgroup finding does not establish benefit for all people with PTSD.
2026 · Preliminary randomized dose comparison
Early results from a dose-comparison trial
Gur I, et al. The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ. 2026 Jun.
Read the publicationThe 2026 report described the first nine patients completing one of two HBOT protocols. Symptom scores improved in both groups.
How to interpret it: The difference between protocols was not statistically significant. With nine completers and no sham group, this cannot establish the best pressure or course length.
What this means for your decision
The symptom improvements reported in veteran programs and controlled research are encouraging. Some benefits have diminished during follow-up, and the best approach remains under study. A consultation can help connect these findings with your goals while keeping established trauma care in place.
Plan with your care team
Start with your diagnosis and a coordinated plan
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Share the relevant records
Bring relevant mental health and brain-injury assessments, current medicines, prior treatment experience, and your goals for daily function.
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Agree on the purpose of treatment
Review the evidence with your treating specialist and hyperbaric clinician. Identify specific outcomes to follow, the alternatives, and the reasons HBOT may or may not be appropriate.
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Set reassessment points
If treatment is prescribed, discuss the schedule, travel, costs, safety screening, and how progress will be reviewed. A published study schedule does not determine an individual prescription.
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
PTSD & veterans’ health FAQs
What improvements have PTSD studies reported?
Studies have reported changes in PTSD symptom scores, sleep, and related measures of well-being. Responses and durability vary. We can review the evidence most relevant to your history and discuss practical next steps.
Do veteran studies apply to everyone with PTSD?
Not necessarily. Military exposure, coexisting TBI, and participant selection may affect outcomes.
Should I stop trauma-focused therapy?
No. Continue your established care and discuss any changes with your mental health clinician. HBOT research does not justify abandoning effective treatment.
Where can I discuss this research near Phoenix?
RX-O2 has clinics in Scottsdale and Glendale. Bring your records or ask your provider to send a referral so that the team can review your circumstances and explain whether an outpatient consultation is appropriate.
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
- Levitt G, et al. Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy. 05/21/2026. A 2026 veteran program evaluation.
- Weaver LK, et al. Undersea & hyperbaric medicine : journal of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, Inc. 2018 Mar-Apr. A military sham-controlled trial with limited durability.
- Gur I, et al. The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ. 2026 Jun. Early results from a dose-comparison trial.
Browse the complete HBOT research library · Learn how HBOT works
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.