As part of his continuing health series, John C. Pittman, MD, of the Carolina Center for Integrative Medicine (CCIM), presented "Autism Spectrum Disorder: Treating Pervasive Developmental Disorders" on Tuesday, August 22. The 90-minute presentation was held in Raleigh, N.C. The seminar discussed how Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and other Defeat Autism Now protocol modalities are being used to help children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Historically, HBOT was used in the treatment of decompression sickness resulting from nitrogen gas bubbles forming in the blood when divers surfaced too quickly. Today, HBOT has been shown to be beneficial in treating such conditions as Down Syndrome, autism, crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

"Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has been around since the middle of the 17th century, yet people still view this as a 'futuristic' treatment," explains Pittman, the Carolina Center founder. "You'll hear Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as 'a therapy in search of disease'. The medical community is really in the early stages of realizing the potential effects that this therapy has on many chronic ailments. It's an exciting time."

When used in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, HBOT has been shown to increase verbalization, promote calmness and a feeling of well being, increase oxygen to areas of the brain that are ischemic, improve sleep patterns disturbed by oxygen deficiency and promote new blood vessel growth into areas of poor blood flow in the brain.

Source: Carolina Center for Integrative Medicine