The Silent Side of Football: Concussions, CTE, and Hope Through Oxygen
Football season celebrates big hits. But behind the cheers are brains left injured, and sometimes those symptoms don’t show up right away.
After a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI), circulation in the brain is disrupted. Brain cells don’t get the oxygen they need to function, and the effects can build slowly.. sometimes showing up weeks, months, or even years later.
For some, the signs appear quickly. For others, they creep in later as:
Irritability or mood swings
Increased anger or aggression
Trouble concentrating or staying focused
Headaches and light sensitivity
Memory problems
Fatigue and poor sleep
The football world often talks about Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and for good reason. Repeated head injuries can set the stage for long-term brain decline. But even before that point, countless people are struggling with the day-to-day effects of concussion and TBI.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) helps change that story. Inside the chamber, oxygen saturates the plasma so oxygen can slip into places red blood cells can’t reach due to injured tissue. This helps calm inflammation, restore blood flow, and support the brain’s ability to rewire and repair.
📚 Research confirms it:
A PLoS ONE study showed patients with post-concussion symptoms up to five years later saw significant gains in memory, attention, and quality of life. Brain scans even showed renewed activity in damaged regions. READ IT HERE.
One of the largest randomized controlled trials on hyperbaric oxygen therapy for persistent post-concussion syndrome showed remarkable results. After 40 HBOT sessions at 1.5 ATA, participants saw significant improvements in memory, processing speed, depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, sleep quality, and overall quality of life compared to the control group. What’s even more striking.. These improvements weren’t fleeting. They persisted for at least two months after the last session, suggesting HBOT doesn’t just mask symptoms, but helps the brain truly recover. READ IT HERE.
The bottom line: rest and silence aren’t enough. Concussions need oxygen.
At In Light, we see it firsthand. Clients with concussions walk in foggy, drained, and short-tempered… and walk out with clearer thinking, steadier moods, and more energy once their brain finally gets the oxygen it’s been missing.
