Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) in Addiction Recovery: How It Supports Detox and Healing
Detox is one of the most physically demanding experiences the human body can go through. In the days and weeks after stopping substances, the body is doing something remarkable — clearing toxins, recalibrating brain chemistry, rebuilding cellular function, and beginning to heal damage that may have accumulated over months or years of use.
It needs every resource it can get.
At The Runway Recovery in Santa Ana, Orange County, we offer Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) as part of our holistic detox and residential treatment program — because we believe that supporting the body's natural healing capacity is as important as the clinical and therapeutic work happening alongside it.
This is what HBOT is, what the science says about it in the context of addiction recovery, and what a session actually feels like at The Runway.
What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy involves breathing 100 percent pure oxygen inside a pressurized chamber — typically at 1.5 to 3 times normal atmospheric pressure. Under these conditions, the lungs absorb significantly more oxygen than they can at normal air pressure, and that oxygen dissolves directly into the blood plasma, reaching tissues, organs, and cells that ordinary circulation does not fully supply.
The result is an accelerated healing environment at a cellular level.
HBOT was originally developed for treating decompression sickness in divers — the condition caused by surfacing too quickly and forming nitrogen bubbles in the blood. It has since been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 13 medical conditions including carbon monoxide poisoning, chronic non-healing wounds, radiation injury, and severe anemia. fda.gov
In addiction medicine and recovery settings, HBOT is used as a complementary, integrative therapy — not a standalone cure — to support the body's healing processes during and after detoxification.
What the Research Says About HBOT and Addiction Recovery
The application of HBOT in addiction treatment is an emerging area of research, and while the evidence base is still developing, the findings to date are encouraging.
Brain healing and neurological recovery
Chronic substance use causes measurable changes to brain structure and function — including reduced cerebral blood flow, impaired oxygen delivery to neural tissue, and disruption of the brain's reward and executive function systems. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
HBOT increases oxygen delivery to the brain directly. A growing body of research suggests this hyperoxygenation supports neuroplasticity — the brain's ability to form new neural connections — which is central to the cognitive and behavioral changes required for lasting recovery. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
A 2015 study published in PLOS ONE found that HBOT produced significant improvement in neurocognitive function in patients with post-concussion syndrome — a condition that shares neurological overlap with the cognitive impairment associated with chronic substance use. journals.plos.org
Inflammation reduction
Substance use disorders — particularly alcohol and opioid use disorders — are associated with significant systemic inflammation. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov This inflammation affects the brain, the liver, the gut, and the immune system, contributing to many of the physical symptoms of early withdrawal — joint pain, muscle aches, fatigue, and general malaise.
HBOT has well-documented anti-inflammatory effects, reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines and supporting immune regulation. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov In the context of detox, this means HBOT may meaningfully reduce the physical discomfort of withdrawal while the body works to restore baseline function.
Oxidative stress and cellular repair
Chronic substance use generates significant oxidative stress — an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants at the cellular level that damages tissues and accelerates aging. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
HBOT stimulates the body's own antioxidant defense systems and promotes the growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and new tissue (including stem cell mobilization), supporting comprehensive cellular repair throughout the body. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Mood and energy
Several clinical observations and smaller studies note that clients receiving HBOT during early recovery report improvements in mood, sleep quality, energy levels, and mental clarity — all of which are commonly impaired during detox and early sobriety. While larger randomized controlled trials are still needed in addiction-specific populations, the mechanistic basis for these effects is well-supported by the neuroscience of oxygen delivery and brain function.
How HBOT Supports the Specific Challenges of Detox
Detox is a physical and emotional transition that places enormous demands on the body simultaneously. Here is how HBOT maps directly onto the most common challenges clients experience during this phase:
Deep fatigue and low energy
Fatigue during detox is not just tiredness — it is the result of depleted neurotransmitters, disrupted sleep architecture, nutritional deficiencies, and a body working at maximum capacity to restore homeostasis. HBOT floods the body's cells with oxygen — the primary fuel source for cellular energy production — giving tissues what they need to function and repair more efficiently.
Clients often report a noticeable improvement in energy and sense of physical wellbeing following HBOT sessions during detox.
Brain fog and difficulty concentrating
Cognitive impairment in early recovery — difficulty concentrating, slow thinking, memory problems, emotional flatness — is one of the most disorienting and discouraging parts of the detox experience. It is caused in large part by reduced cerebral blood flow and impaired oxygen delivery to neural tissue following chronic substance use.
HBOT improves cerebral oxygenation directly, supporting clearer thinking, improved focus, and greater emotional presence — all of which matter enormously for a client's ability to engage with the therapeutic work happening alongside detox.
Joint pain, muscle aches, and physical discomfort
Withdrawal from alcohol, opioids, and other substances commonly causes significant musculoskeletal discomfort — aching joints, muscle cramping, general soreness, and heightened pain sensitivity. These symptoms are partly the result of inflammatory processes the body triggers during withdrawal.
HBOT's anti-inflammatory effects directly address this. By calming inflammatory responses and supporting tissue repair, HBOT can reduce physical discomfort and help clients feel more physically at ease during one of the body's most demanding transitions.
Emotional dysregulation and anxiety
The nervous system dysregulation of early detox — racing thoughts, heightened anxiety, emotional unpredictability, difficulty self-soothing — is one of the biggest barriers to engaging with therapeutic support during the initial days of treatment.
By supporting neurological function and reducing systemic inflammation, HBOT may help stabilize the physiological basis of these emotional experiences — creating a slightly more settled baseline from which the clinical and therapeutic work of recovery can begin.
What an HBOT Session Looks Like at The Runway Recovery
HBOT sessions at The Runway are designed to feel calm, private, and genuinely restorative — not clinical or intimidating.
Each session is 60 minutes in a mild hyperbaric chamber, delivered by trained staff in a quiet, comfortable setting. The experience is gentle — clients lie or recline in the chamber, breathe normally, and rest. Many clients read, listen to music, or simply sleep.
The pressurization is gradual and carefully monitored. Most clients experience a slight sensation of ear pressure as the chamber pressurizes — similar to descending in an airplane — which resolves quickly. There is no discomfort, no invasive procedure, and no recovery time needed afterward.
Sessions are integrated into the overall detox and residential treatment schedule at The Runway — alongside individual therapy, group sessions, mindfulness practices, yoga, acupuncture, and nutritional support.
HBOT at The Runway is not a standalone treatment. It is one carefully chosen piece of a comprehensive, holistic healing program — offered because we believe the body deserves targeted support during one of the most demanding transitions it will ever make.
Who Is HBOT Appropriate For?
HBOT is generally well-tolerated and safe for most adults. At The Runway, all clients are assessed individually before beginning HBOT, and the therapy is recommended based on each client's specific medical history, detox presentation, and clinical needs.
HBOT is typically not recommended for people with certain lung conditions, untreated pneumothorax, or specific ear and sinus conditions. Your clinical team at The Runway will review your full health history before any integrative therapy is incorporated into your program.
A Holistic Approach to Detox and Recovery in Orange County
HBOT is one expression of The Runway's broader commitment to treating addiction holistically — addressing the mind, body, and spirit as an integrated whole, not as separate problems requiring separate protocols.
The body carries the history of addiction in its cells, its nervous system, its inflammatory markers, and its neurochemistry. Healing it requires more than abstinence and willpower. It requires targeted, compassionate clinical support — and the full range of evidence-informed tools that help the body do what it is designed to do: recover.
If you are ready to learn more about HBOT and our residential detox program in Orange County, our admissions team is available 24 hours a day.
(866) 969-3686 | therunwayrecovery.com | 1245 W Chestnut Ave, Santa Ana, Orange County, CA State-licensed by California DHCS — License #300262AP
